In this third of a series of four articles, the author deconstructs the primary national strategy's approach to written multiplication. The approach to multiplication, as set out on pages 12 to 15 of the primary national strategy's "Guidance paper" "Calculation" (DfES, 2007), is divided into six stages: (1) mental multiplication using partitioning; (2) the grid method; (3) expanded short multiplication; (4) short multiplication (by Y4); (5) two-digit by two-digit products (by Y5); and (6) three-digit by two-digit products (by Y6). The six stages of national strategy's approach to multiplication are presented. (Contains 8 figures.) [For Deconstructing Calculation Methods Part 2: Subtraction, see EJ775047.]