View Full Version : explain multiplication please?!?!
kindredspirits
21-07-2011, 01:08 PM
Okay I am stuck trying to explain multiplication....
adding and subtracting I have explained fine (to a 4 year old this is btw) - division I have explained by the old 'you have 10 sweets and you want to share them between x amount of people'.........
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN HOW TO MULTIPLY?!?!? :laughing:
PixiePetal
21-07-2011, 01:14 PM
how about having 2 sweets in one hand and then wanting another 2 in the other hand. so 2x2=4 :thumbsup:
not good at explaining things :o
heidicat
21-07-2011, 01:18 PM
just replied but it has vanished i think so sorry if two from me now..
how about saying its adding the same amount each time until you get to the final number you wanted... eg 2 x 4 = 4+4 or 3 x 2 = 2+2+2
Not sure a 4 year old would get it...
and reading it back not sure a 30 something would either ;) !
singingcactus
21-07-2011, 01:20 PM
Multiplication is the opposite of division. Division is 10 sweets between 5 friends. Multiplication you have 5 friends who all want 2 sweets each, how many sweets do we need. Or the sweets cost 2p each and we want 10 sweets how many pennies do we need.
kindredspirits
21-07-2011, 01:25 PM
Multiplication is the opposite of division. Division is 10 sweets between 5 friends. Multiplication you have 5 friends who all want 2 sweets each, how many sweets do we need. Or the sweets cost 2p each and we want 10 sweets how many pennies do we need.
brilliant thank you! :thumbsup:
my 4 year old son did 100 + and - sums last night with no help in about 10 mins so need to move him on to something a little more challenging (some of those sums were like 35-9= :thumbsup: )
Mouse
21-07-2011, 02:23 PM
I always explain multiplication as "groups of" or "lots of"
so 3 x 4 is 3 groups of 4, or 3 lots of 4
Then do it as a visual, with buttons, or something
put 3 piles each with 4 buttons in, then add them all up and say 3 groups of 4 is 12, or 3 lots of 4 is 12
sarah707
21-07-2011, 07:14 PM
Another way of thinking about it (I prefer lots of ways of explaining things) ... multiplication is a quicker way of adding up!
There is a process you can go through to see how it works.
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1
Step one is to add up all the 1s.
The 1s could be 4 buttons in 4 rows or pencils, something visual works best.
Step two is to spot there are 4 1s in 4 rows and wonder how to add 4 and 4 and 4 and 4 quickly.
And the way to do that is to multiply them... 1 set of 4 and 1 set of 4 etc.
I still teach them by rote and most of the schools are going back to that method. When you learn them that way they stick with you forever :D
louise
21-07-2011, 07:16 PM
DS broiught home aletter about Arrays once but to be honest I don't think he used it as he works it out mentaly rather then visual, so I still don't understand it. It might help http://www.haelmedia.com/OnlineActivities_txh/mc_txh3_002.html
I have always done it as groups of or lots of as well.