Good teaching of mental calculation of multiplication and division uses physical models and a variety of learning experiences including games, everyday contexts and opportunities for students to build connections.
An understanding of the ideas underpinning multiplication and division include:
- the equal group structure
- the different ways to conceptualise multiplicative situations
- the role of the numbers in multiplicative situations
- recognising relationships between numbers.
Division is the inverse of multiplication. In its simplest form it is the partitioning of a quantity into equal subsets.
All of these ideas need to be understood if students are to develop efficient mental computation strategies.
There are a number of ways of presenting multiplicative situations for understanding such as:
- using the array model
- exploring patterns on a 100 grid
- partitioning numbers equally in a variety of ways
- adopting the 'have a go' attitude
- exploring the range of strategies students use.
You can read more in the articles Strategies for Going Mental and From Here to There: the Path to Computational Fluency with Multi-digit Multiplication on the AAMT website.
