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Rafe Esquith: Five Tips to Help Children Develop Their Natural Gifts

#1414. Making Arrays for Multiplication

Mathematics, level: Elementary
Posted Fri Nov 26 19:17:11 PST 1999 by Susan Smith (gman@sirinet.net).
Pat Henry Elementary, Lawton, OK
Materials Required: Manilla graph paper, construction paper, scissors, glue
Activity Time: It depends on how you teach multiplication
Concepts Taught: Multiplication Facts

Help kids see the facts as you go through them. After I finish the 2's and 3's, we cut them out of graph paper from 2 X 1 to 2 X 10. They must always cut the same number of rows or columns and change the other one with each new fact. As we go up the tables they only have to add the new facts unless they are having a hard grasping the lower ones. Sometimes I have them start at 1 on each set of facts so they can see how 2 X 3 looks different from 3 X 2.
They must also write the fact and its answer below the array they glued onto the paper. Many kids seem to get them a little easier than with just drill and times tests. This worked for me on those who didn't get it with manipulatives. After we reach 10 X 10 we quit.