Math question - teaching multiplication

[wytetygryss]

Hey all

Comments

[gwynnebear]

The weather was nice today so we went outside and played multiplication hopscotch! We did a bunch of different ways, such as making hopscotch with multiples of ___ or a regular one, but they had to multiply their number by the one they were on.

[wytetygryss]

Sounds fun :) Thanks!

[jennybaxter]

I once bought a beach ball at the Dollar Tree, used nail polish remover to get rid of the words that were on it (warning label or some such), and then divided the ball's surface into 12 sections. In each section, I wrote a number. The students would sit on top of their desks and throw the ball around the room. When they caught the ball, they had to multiply the two numbers their thumbs were on. If they got it right, they sat down. If they got it wrong, they kept playing. We worked to get everyone seated as quickly as possible.

[wytetygryss]

Interesting! Might be worth a try. Thanks!

[cirakaite]

Would manipulatives help them? Having them lay it out in an array, then physically moving the groups while skip counting? Number lines are also a good way to bridge towards higher numbers for multiplication - jumping in bigger groups (ie, not skip counting by 6s to multiply by six, but thinking that they know 2x6 already, so they can jump 12, or they know 3x6 already so they can jump 18.)

As far as readiness, a lot probably depends on their previous experiences with multiplication. Games (online and in person) will help with the memorisation of times tables, but not with the understanding of why it works that way.

[wytetygryss]

I should try a number line too. We do have manipulatives which they use sometimes, but for a few of them it always seems to come to counting by 1!

[cirakaite]

Maybe it comes down to having them always use the manipulatives until they can do it without them? Number lines have been very handy with my class. The other thing that works for me is "known fact webs" - ie, put 2x3 in the centre, and they web out from that with all the other facts they already know that related. 20x3, 3x20, 3x2, 6/2, 6/3, 2x6, 3x4 etc. My class also loves bean bags for doubling - working in partners, just double, double, double, double every time they catch the bean bag until they reach their limit, when they have to start halving instead. For some of mine, they can get as far as 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 before they start to struggle.

[wytetygryss]

Great ideas. I know a few of my kiddos still struggle with recall on their doubles, so the beanbag idea could help.