Jane Sparrow 20144178

An explanation for the use of arrays - To promote the understanding of mental

strategies for multiplication

Lorraine Day & Derek Hurrell

Summary

This article written by Lorraine Day & Derek Hurrell discusses the 'why' and 'how' of

multiplication using the mathematical concept of arrays in order to enable students to

become fluent users of multiplication for mental and written computation.

Day & Hurrell suggest that it is imperative that teachers add meaning to

multiplication and division rather than relying on student's memorised procedures, to

allow students to think about the concepts in a number of different ways.

The Australian Curriculum: Mathematics (as cited in Day & Hurrell) requests that

students as early as year 2, are able to "recognise and represent multiplication as

repeated addition, groups and arrays". Day & Hurrell discuss multiple illustrations in

which arrays can be used in the primary classroom, providing a convincing argument

as to the benefit of using arrays to teach multiplication.

Reflection

On my first practicum experience, I had the delight of teaching a year two class how

to represent multiplication as repeated addition using arrays.

At first we started out as a group on the carpet and I used magnets on the board to

demonstrate the concept. I realised quickly that for some students were struggling to

understand the concept and needed to be manipulating objects in their hands. I

changed my lesson to handing out blocks whilst they were still seated on the carpet.
 Jane Sparrow 20144178

In doing so children had the opportunity to create the arrays with me and with the

class.

First we did some together and then I would give them a few moments to manipulate

the blocks to show their answer before doing it on the board with the magnets.

This gave students who understood to demonstrate their learning, and didn't pressurise

others to have the correct answer instantly.

After this short class lesson the students moved to their mathematics groups (created

according to their ability by the class teacher). During the rest of the period, each

group had different games to play that required them to represent multiplication in

groups and arrays.

One game in particular that children enjoyed was where they each had a dice, rolled

three times and to create a two-digit times a one-digit multiplication. They then had to

use the blocks to create the array and show the answer.

I found that students who were struggling at the start of the lesson, by the end of the

lesson were able to create arrays for almost all multiplications they were given.

Reference:

Day, L., & Hurrell, D. (2015). An explanation for the use of arrays to promote the

understanding of mental strategies for multiplication. Australian Primary

Mathematics Classroom, 20(1), 20-23.