Teaching multiplication can take many forms. Teachers are always finding new and engaging ways of teaching multiplication. Whether it be using manipulatives, arrays, songs, tips or strategies, there is no one way of teaching multiplication.
In this roundup post, I’ve highlighted 7 helpful posts to inform your teaching of multiplication. Each article also highlights helpful resources (some paid, some free).
UPDATE: November 2020
STOP! I wrote another blog post with ideas for teaching multiplication virtually when we switched to distance learning. You can see it HERE!
Teaching Multiplication with 3 Proven Strategies
In this post, I’ve written how I use 3 proven techniques for teaching multiplication as a concept: using equal groups, arrays, and a number line. I use a hands-on learning approach that focuses on using manipulatives to understand multiplication before any symbols or numbers are even introduced.
I don’t move on until I know each student has an understanding of the concept of multiplication.
Multiplication Practice Made Fun and Easy
After students understand multiplication and you’ve been at it for a while, do you ever feel as a teacher that some students just have a very difficult time recalling the multiplication facts no matter what? Or they learn them and forget them?
In this post, I explain my frustration with this and what I did to fix it. Shameless promotion plug. Yes, I created a new resource that’s now on TpT. But it worked so well I had to share!
Don’t Forget the Distributive Property of Multiplication!
If you want to get your students ready for higher levels of math (especially middle school algebra!), they need to learn how to use the Distributive Property of Multiplication. When California adopted the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, I was genuinely baffled by how I was going to teach this standard to eight-year-olds.
Eventually, I did some research and some experimenting. Once my oldest son hit middle school, I saw the important role this particular property of multiplication played in algebra.
Don’t overlook this property. Teach it so that students understand that it is used to break down more complex numbers into easier units to solve an equation.
You can check out this post I wrote on how I break down the Distributive Property of Multiplication to my students.
Teaching Multiplication – The Year Long Plan
In this post, I give a detailed explanation of how I approach multiplication all year long. You can just teach it and forget it. You’ve got to support students all year long.
The post details how I teach the concept of multiplication, the Distributive Property of Multiplication, the strategies and tips I give to learning the tables and finally, fluency strategies for math fact fluency.
It’s a long post but illustrates the need to support students all year long because understanding and using multiplication is more than just memorization!
More Ideas from Other Teacher-Bloggers
We all know what happens to third graders when they come back from summer vacation and start fourth grade. Multiplication? What was that?
My colleague over at Enjoy Teaching with Brenda Kovich has a very informative post on keeping multiplication going in fourth grade. She has some great hints for learning the multiplication facts for fourth graders!
The Caffeine Queen Teacher has a developed a unique way to teach two digits by two digits multiplication using shapes. Read her blog post to see how she uses this visual process of multiplication with great success!
Over at Elementary Matters, read this post on using memorization techniques to learn math facts. She offers 10 brain tricks for learning math facts. Did you know that music helps the brain organize information during practice? Great tip!
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I hope you enjoyed this roundup post.
Please share your ideas for teaching multiplication below in the comments!
