A successful way to introduce multiplying fractions is to take common multiplication assumptions and have students test them using fractions to see whether they continue to hold true. Multiplication as repeated addition, multiplying by grouping objects and solving problems using arrays can be easily done with fractions. This takes some of the mystery out of the process. Having students test out their background knowledge can help them scaffold their multiplication knowledge to build a foundation for applying the skill to fractions.
A fun way to teach multiplying fractions is by using unifix cubes. Presenting eight brown "Unifix" stacking cubes as a "chocolate bar," hand a student 1/2 the bar or four cubes. Then ask that student to give 1/4 of his bar away asking what fraction of the whole bar that student received. This leads to writing out the problem and teaching the most common way to teach multiplying fractions by the "multiply across" strategy, in which students are taught to multiply the numerators and then the denominators of a fraction to solve the problem. Students can then complete problems with the Unifix cubes and double check by "multiplying across."
Using an area model to multiply fractions is very helpful for visual learners. Students will draw a rectangular model for the first fraction in the problem by vertically drawing lines in a rectangle with the correct parts lightly shaded. Then the second fraction is displayed by drawing it with horizontal lines inside the shaded region and darkened more heavily. This darkly shaded area represents the product of the two fractions
Fraction war is an interactive game that helps students practice multiplying fractions. Removing the face cards, a pair of students divides a deck of cards between them. Students each turn over and lay down two cards on top of each other. The top number is the numerator, the bottom is the denominator. They must quickly multiply the fractions together and whichever student successfully answers first wins the set of cards. Play continues until one student is out of cards.