This is the standard, or efficient method of multiplying. There are other methods of multiplying which are equally good but it is important that children keep to one method that they can become confident with. It presumes a good knowledge of tables. Without this knowledge the whole process can become slow and tedious. An important first step, which is often ignored, is to make a quick mental calculation of what the answer should be. Do this by rounding numbers, so that, for example, 436 x 24 is about 400 x 25 which is 1000. Check the final answer against this quick calculation as it can immediately highlight any serious errors. With the long method it is possible to start with the units and then multiply by the tens, or indeed, the other way round, but it is worthwhile to check that when multiplying by the tens there should always be a zero in the units column.