Teaching Multiplication to Primary Schoolchildren

1.0     Introduction

Mathematics is subject-involving numbers, numbers that has value. It has been a basic for many subjects in the world. It also can explain our natural environment phenomenon. For example the natural changes of day and nigh. In understanding these, our scientist has used astronomical studies, which needs mathematics as a basic.

Imagine our world without mathematics, no knowledge of mathematics, numbers, measurement and many others. We don’t even know what is plus, minus, subtract and multiple. Our life will be equal to stone age, where they don’t know how to value things.

Students must understand the question and decide on the facts that they understand. In the process of identifying the problems, method, technical, referral and source should highlighted. First the students need to understand the predictions because it helps the students to obtain the information easily. It will make the students to make predictions what might happen, how to solve the problems and what steps to be taken. Secondly collecting information, then to rearrange the information according to the sequence.

At this level the students are able to predict, evaluate and verify the information. Then the students must create a procedure and sequence to solve the problem. Thirdly is analysis, the predictions that has been done. At this level the students able to solve the problem, decide on creative analysis for verification. Lastly they will make a conclusion that is students must have obtain conclusion and solution for the problem.

2.0           Introduce Multiplication to our Students

The teacher must emphasis strongly when teaching new concepts. The understanding of solely depends on the explanations of the teacher.

Teachers must use concrete materials to explain on the multiplication concept more effectively. Prior to that the teacher will request the students to write the numbers based on pictures and decide on the operation to obtain the answers. Request the students to calculate the numbers or the group, which is available. Then the students will write the group numbers. From there the students will be able to understand multiplication is actually repeated process which if shorten is multiplication.

          Multiplication of whole numbers is commonly known as repeated addition of the same number. In fact, we can consider it to be a “short-cut” method of adding the same number in a given number of times. The result of multiplication is the total number (product) that would be obtained by combining several (multiplier) groups of similar size (multiplicand).

For example, if we are combining 4 groups with 2 objects in each group, we could arrive at the same answer by addition. For example         2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8 is equivalent to the multiplication equation 4 x 2 = 8.