Teaching multiplication to your child
On this page you will find information, suggested links, and other resources to help you to help your child with multiplication. These include (click or scroll for more):
- Multiplication Words - "..times and stuff like that.."
- Learning Multiplication Facts
Multiplication Words
Discuss and explore with your child the concepts of grouping and repeated addition with your child use real examples with objects that are in their everyday life.
While playing with and handling such objects be sure to introduce and use some of the words below.
Multiplication Words
- Groups of - 3 groups of 2 make 6.
- Sets of - 2 sets of 4 make 8.
- Lots of - 2 lots of 2 make 4.
- Multiplied -3 multiplied by 4 is 12
- Product - the product of 5 and 3 is 15.
- Times - 3 times 2 is 6.
Don't overlook the multiplication sign ( x ). Be sure your child knows what it means and doesn't confuse it with other signs such as the addition ( + ) sign.
Learning Multiplication Facts
By the end of 2nd Grade most children should have started to develop an understanding of multiplication through working with equal size groups of objects and through joining, or adding, these groups together. This repeated joining/ addition is one of the first multiplication strategies to be learned.
There are many different strategies and activities that can help with learning multiplication facts. Two of these are listed below:
- Check out Michele's
Multiplication Tips for some advice on helping your child
to memorize multiplications facts
- Visit Susan Greenwald's web site to read tips on how to help your
child memorize multiplication facts
You can use these printable multiplication flashcards to practice memorizing basic multiplication facts and these multiplication games will also help.
Commutative Property: a x b = b x a
Be sure your child knows that it does not matter the order in which two numbers are multiplied. For example, if he or she knows that 5 x 6 = 30, then he or she should know that 6 x 5 = 30. This will almost half the number of facts that need to be memorized. Use objects to model this with your child. Use the illustration below as an example.
| Commutative Property of Multiplication | ||
o
o o o o
o
o o o o
o
o o o o |
= |
o
o o
o
o o
o
o o
o
o o
o
o o |
| 3 groups of 5 | = | 5 groups of 3 |
| 3 x 5 | = | 5 x 3 |
| 15 | = | 15 |
Try the worksheet below for more practice with basic multiplication facts
Products
to 81 e.g. 8 x 7
You'll find more free multiplication worksheets here.
More Math Help