How to Multiply With the Box Method

Multiply 658 and 47 using the box method for example. Draw a grid with three columns and two rows. Label the top of the columns with 6, 5 and 8. Label the right side of the rows with 4 and 7. Begin at the upper right corner of the grid and draw diagonal lines through the boxes, emerging on the left to provide a space for answers until every box has been divided in two.

Multiply the number of the first column by the first row: 6 * 4 = 24. Write the ones of the answer, the "4", under the diagonal line in the upper left box. Write the tens, the "2", above the diagonal line. Multiply the second column by the first row: 5 * 4 = 20. Write "2" above the line and "0" below the line. Multiply the third column by the first row: 8 * 4 = 32. Write the "3" above the line and the "2" below.

Multiply the first column by the second row: 6 * 7 = 42. Write "4" above the line and "2" below. Multiply the second column by the second row: 5 * 7 = 35. Write the "3" above the line and the "5" below. Multiply the third column by the second row: 8 * 7 = 56. Write the "5" above the line and the "6" below.

Begin in the bottom right corner and add the numbers that share a diagonal in the grid, writing the ones answer in the answer slot and carrying any tens answers to the beginning of the next diagonal. Note that the bottom right diagonal only contains one number: 6. Add the next diagonal to the left: 2 + 5 + 5 = 12 (keep the "2", carry the "1"). Add the next diagonal, including the carried tens: (1) + 3 + 0 + 3 + 2 = 9. Add the next diagonal: 2 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 12 (keep the "2", carry the "1"). Add the final diagonal: (1) + 2 = 3.

Write out the numbers in the answer grid in the order they appear starting from the upper left corner and working around (in other words, the opposite order then as they were just solved): 30926. Write that the answer is 30, 926.