A real challenge for December
Fourth graders are expected to multiply two two-digit numbers, and it takes careful, patient work. This page has just 16 stacked problems, because each one takes real time. A smaller count also means students can finish before the concert rehearsal or party starts.
Show the partial products
Encourage students to work 34 × 26 in two lines: first 34 × 6 = 204, then 34 × 20 = 680, and finally add them for 884. The most common mistake is forgetting the zero on the second line. Asking why it's there, because the 2 really means 20, helps the method make sense rather than just be a routine.
Estimate first
Before each problem, have students round both numbers to the nearest ten. 34 × 26 is about 30 × 30, or 900. If their final answer is far from the estimate, they know to check it before looking at the key.
Santa's workshop problems
Ask the class to write workshop word problems, like 48 elves each making 36 toys a day. Students can then trade problems and solve each other's.