Why does my child think 7² = 14?
Your child multiplies by the power instead of multiplying the number by itself, such as 7² = 14 or 2³ = 6.
Why children do it
The small 2 looks like a number to multiply by, so 7² becomes 7 × 2. But a power counts how many times the number is used in a multiplication: 7² is 7 × 7, which is 49, and 2³ is 2 × 2 × 2, which is 8.
How to help at home
Ask them to write the power out in full: 7² is 7 × 7.
The right way
Work out: 3³
- 3 × 3 × 3Use 3 three times.
- 273 times 3 is 9, and 9 times 3 is 27.
Find out where your child is
A free maths check, in about 15 minutes, shows what your child knows and the mistakes they make. No sign-up.
Start the free check