Sunday, April 7, 2013
Multiplication
This week we began learning multiplication. I introduced it by explaining arrays and repeated addition. As I progressed throughout the week reviewing these two strategies with my students I learned something new myself. I realized that I was teaching them in a way I never had before. In repeated addition the multiplication fact 4x3 is written as 4+4+4. I found myself telling students "You just write 4 three times. That is why we say 4x3. I guess I have always know this, but I have not always thought to explain it this way. I think that far more children understood it when I explained it this way. We also started on our 0, 1, and 2 facts this week. I noticed many of my students using the repeated addition and arrays to help them with the facts they didn't know. Do any of you have tricks of the trade that I can use?
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In introducing multiplication, I start with reading "Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream", then we create a foldable called "The Ways to Multiply". They include:
ReplyDelete1. Groups (3 x 5 = 3 groups of 5)
2. Repeated Addition (3 x 5 = 5 + 5 + 5)
3. Hops on a Number line.
4. Arrays (3 x 5 = 3 rows of 5 in each row)
5. Skip Counting (3 x 5 = 5, 10, 15)
Here is one of my posts about arrays:
http://teachingwithmoxie.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html
This post has a couple of links in it to other fun multiplication activities. Enjoy!
Diane
Teaching With Moxie