I was reading a post from end of Feb. about teaching Mult. I was curious how you teach multiplication. I agree with the fact that most kids need direct instruction and I was wondering how I should go about it for a group of seventh graders I have that still haven’t mastered the mult. facts. They have to count on their fingers. I would like to find a more efficient method for them to use, but not sure how to go about it. Do I just drill and drill? Just wondering how you do it, thanks,
Re: question for Victoria
I don’t have time right now to repost the whole thing, will try to get more detail to you later; basically, I make diagrams of dots (NO distracting pictures) for example three rows of four dots to show 3 x 4. The I work on counting the dots, making the same thing on an abacus and counting, and when the meaning is understood, reciting the table for memory. Please check out my old posts — if you don’t find them email me and I’ll repost.
Multi-digit is another question; I use the abacus for this too — for example, 4 x 12 gives you four ten-rows and four groups of two units, so it’s visibly 48. This extends to carrying by trading-in ten single beads for a whole row.
I’m not VIctoria, but there are many suggestions (and an entire book and workbook) on my site — www.resourceroom.net. Just click on “math.” There is also online practice.
Lots of times we make kids “drill and drill” - well, we call it that, but it isn’t drill. Drill is doing the ones you *know*, accurately, until they are both fast and accurate… they’re automatic.
Doing a bunch of problems and guessing at half of them — that’s not drill, that’s guesswork and it often just adds to the frustration and confusion.