Bonnie Palmer 10/15/13 How can we teach students how to multiply and divide?

Ch. 9 Helping Students Master the Basic Facts (p. 138-149) Reasoning Strategies for Multiplication and Division Facts -the tens digit of the product is always one less than the other: factor and the sum -start with story problems and concrete materials of the two digits in the product is always 9 (Thats why the finger trick -understanding the commutative property cuts the basic facts to be memorized in works!!!!!! So cool!! I never learned the reason behind the finger trick before!!) half Using known Facts to Derive Other Facts Doubles: facts that have 2 as a factor are equivalent to the addition doubles -Double and Double Again Strategy (2s4s, 3s6s, 4s8s) Fives: connection to skip counting by fives and minutes on a clock -Double and One More Set Strategy- facts with 3 as one factor Zeros and Ones -Half Then Double Strategy- either factor is even; select even factor, and cut it in -confuse with addition facts half, if the smaller fact is known, the product is doubled to get the new fact -facts can be developed best through story problems and an emphasis on the -Close Fact- add one more set to a known fact; can be used for any multiplication meaning of the operations fact -ask students to put words to the equation -arrays are powerful models -avoid rules that are strictly procedural Division: division fact mastery is dependent on the inverse relationship of Nifty Nines multiplication and division -can derive from 10 times the number multiplied by 9 minus the number -Memorization of basic facts is a result of repeated experiences with reasoning multiplied by 9 strategies, not because of time spend memorizing -drill can only help students get faster at what they already know Question: In 3rd grade, the students are learning multiplication. The teacher is introducing it early by having the students just memorize the facts (one or two weeks per fact set like the 2s) as they are continuing with other math units. This way the students have the facts memorized by the time they get to the multiplication unit. She has made a few connections to previous learning by talking about the two times multiplication facts as repeated addition. She is going to get more hands on with multiplication later on during the year when they are doing the multiplication unit. Do you think that is an effective way to teach multiplication? Ch. 11 Building Strategies for Whole Number Computation (p.180-199) Invented Strategies for Multiplication -Cluster Problems: problems can be solved in different ways and with -how a student represents a product is directly related to their methods for different starting points; like multiplication determining answers Standard Algorithm for Division -One-Digit Multiplier -partition (fair share) and repeated subtraction method -Complete-Number Strategies: based on repeated addition, doubling, -One-Digit Divisors -Partitioning Strategies: decomposing, by decades, by the multiplier, by -use models and avoid goes into language tens and ones, all partitioning strategies rely on knowledge of the -be explicit in helping students record fair sharing with models distributive property 1. Share and record the number of pieces put in each group -Compensation Strategies: manipulate number so that the calculations are 2. Record the # of pieces shared in all. Multiply to find this # easier 3. Record the # of pieces remaining. Subtract to find this # -Multidigit Numbers 4. Trade (if necessary) for smaller pieces, and combine with any of the -Cluster Problems: encourages students to use the facts and combinations same-sized pieces that are there already. Record the new total # in the they already know in order to figure out more complex computations; helps next column. students think about ways to decompose numbers into easier parts -explicit trade method explicitly records trades and is often easier for -Area Model: offers a visual demonstration for the commutative and students distributive properties -Two-Digit Divisors: dont get stuck on the long division algorithm, make Standard Algorithm for Multiplication sure students are understanding what they are doing -One-Digit Multipliers Estimation -begin with models like a rectangle filled with base-ten pieces -know when it is okay to estimate -provide sheets with base-ten columns for recording problems -use real examples of estimation, use the language of estimation, use context -Two-Digit Multiplier: area model shows four partial products to help with estimates, accept a range of estimates (or offer a range as an Invented Strategies for Division option), do not reward or emphasize the one students estimate that is the -work with both partition (fair sharing) and measurement (repeated closest, focus on flexible methods not answers subtraction) problems -front-end method: first digit is identified and the rest of the digits are -Missing-Factor Strategies: what number times the divisor is close the substituted with zeros dividend -rounding method: round one or both n umbers; for division, the key is to find two compatible numbers Ch. 14 Developing Decimal and Percent Concepts and Decimal Computation (p. 271-280) Multiplication with Decimals -percent concept can be developed through powerful visual representations that -use problems in context, area model, grid diagram link to proportional thinking (ex: 3 part model to represent the original amount, -use estimation, compare whole number problems to decimal problems the increase/decrease, and the final amount) -write decimals as fraction equivalents -explore percents in real contexts (like tips, taxes, and discounts) -ignore the decimal points, and do the computation as if all numbers were whole -limit percents to familiar fractions number; when finished, place the decimal point by estimation (do for division -require students to use physical models, drawings, and contexts to explain their too) solutions Division with Decimals -encourage students to notice patterns -estimation and concrete experiences are needed to build a strong understanding -use the terms, part, whole, and percent (or fraction) Percents -encourage mental computation -term percent is another name for hundredths -encourage estimation: substitute a close percent for a difficult percent, select -physical models provide the main link among fractions, decimal, and percents numbers that are compatible with the percent involved -link fractions to percents with a 10x10 grid Teaching Strategies -Use story problems when teaching multiplication and division facts -What to do when teaching basic facts: ask students to self-monitor, focus on self-improvement, drill in short time segments, work on facts over time, involve families, make drill enjoyable, use technology, emphasize the importance of quick recall of facts -work on collections of facts based on the strategies and conceptual understanding (dont go throughout facts in numerical order) -games to teach multiplication on p. 144
Teaching multiplication and division is not just about memorizing basic facts and algorithms. Students need to see real life examples and understand why ways of solving multiplication and division problems work.