How can I explain my son multiplication?

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I was talking with me son (6) today about his school work, and asked if it was anything he found difficult. He told me he does not understand multiplication. How can I best explain it?

Should I just give him the tables and ask him to memorize them? I think that is what we did in school. But how do I explain it?

by describing them as 'lots of or groups of ie 4 groups of 3 blocks etc. but yes learining times tables is really good ( as is spelling)

got any squared paper

those number squares are good. i count the numbers with my son. it's so hard though

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Thanks, I shall use lego pieces!

an abacus is a brilliant idea thanks aimsmum

why are they learning times tables so early though.

Is six early for this?

probably not, but my son is still grasping the basics

My son is ok with adding and subtracting and can now do it quite quickly in his head. But I dont know the curriculum as we are in a new school and in a new country. He was ahead in maths in London, but now he is in a mixed class of reception, year1 and year2. He is supposedly getting tailored tuition, so I am not sure where he is. We have a parent - child - teacher conference on tuesday, hopefully I will know better then.

Multiplication is just a short cut for adding. I have suffered dd 'learning' her tables for years at school and she's still not confident as they don't recite them much. There's no real need to 'understand' multiplication in order to learn tables; in fact, while learning tables you will realise that they are just quick addition. Bring back learning by rote!

use sweets! Works really well as reward system. If you have 4 sweets on everyday of the week and show the groups physically. Then explain it down to 7 lots of 4 etc
did this with dd aged 3-4 and she is a whizz now!

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My dc's have learned multiplication as 'groups of' aswell - I used to keep a box of dried pasta shapes in the cupboard for their multiplication homework!

sweets- groups of friends and numbers of sweets needed. Food always worked for mine... Also may help to actually small sweets to count out, and motivate him with a sweet for every success!