Multiplication: You're Teaching It Wrong (and you really don't have to...)

Multiplication seems like such a simple topic to teach: we show our students a few examples, like 6 plates of 5 cookies, and next thing you know, we're moving on to memorizing the multiplication facts. Bad Idea.

Multiplication is one of the trickiest topics we teach in mathematics, and the things we leave out mean that our students will pay later when they struggle with topics like ratio, proportion and other types of problem solving in their later years. You must prevent this from happening, and it means providing a better grounding in multiplication.

In this packet I describe 9 different techniques you can do to improve your students learning of multiplication. This includes the following:

• It ain't no repeated addition - we've been told to teach multiplication as repeated addition, but this is shortsighted: what happens when our students have to multiply 2/3 x 3/5? The repeated addition model doesn't work in this context. Learn how to make your models to prepare your students for what will come down the road.

• Multiplication without rules: there are no "rules" to multiplication, but there are properties. What are these properties and how can we use them to help our students better understand multiplication.

• Not All Facts Are The Same: There are 121 different multiplication facts to memorize, right? Nope! Learn about the different types of multiplication facts and how to teach them.

• Those Mad Minutes you use? They're garbage! You give them a minute to complete 30 multiplication problems. Have you learned anything? No! Here's a better way to assess multiplication facts in a way that is valid and reliable.

• Scaffolding: your students haven't learned all their facts yet? Here are two clever ways to give them the facts they need while enhancing their understanding.

I've included sample activities, questions and games that you can print out and use right out of the box!

If you are a TpT seller, you will learn how to create materials for your buyers that are truly innovative, and by that I don't mean putting a bunny on a flash card. You will learn about important concepts and practices that can be incorporated into your materials. Please read it carefully and follow my suggestions! They are the culmination of 30 years of practice in the classroom.

There are 25 pages of content in this packet, each of which is original and useful.

• If you are looking at this, you should also consider this guide to using neuroscience to teach and assess multiplication facts: all materials included! A Neuroscience Approach to Multiplication Facts

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