Aims: To help the child focus on the basic multiplication tables and eventually memorize them.
Description: In this activity, the child is provided with a multiplication board consisting of 100 indentations for beads. The board has numbers 1 to 10 written along the top, and a space at the top left to hold a counter or skittle. A box contains 100 red beads and one red skittle, and there is also a slot on the left side of the board for the child to place the table card they choose. In addition, there are prepared booklets with multiplication tables from 1 to 10 stored in a yellow packet or envelope.
______ x 1 = ______
______ x 2 = ______
______ x 3 = ______
______ x 4 = ______
______ x 5 = ______
______ x 6 = ______
______ x 7 = ______
______ x 8 = ______
______ x 9 = ______
______ x 10 = ______
Presentation: After working with multiplication bead bars, the child is invited to use the multiplication board. They are shown where the material is stored and asked to bring it to their table. The child selects a number to multiply (for example, three, the multiplicand) and places the corresponding card in the slot. Then, the box with beads is opened, and the skittle is placed above the number one (multiplier). The child takes three beads, counts them, and places them in the first vertical row below the number one. This process is verbalized as, “Three taken once is three.” It is recorded on paper, and the skittle is moved to number two. Three more beads are placed under number two, next to the first vertical row. The child counts aloud as they place the beads and observes that “three taken two times is six.” This continues until “three taken ten times.”
The child can then select another number and continue working with the board. They can check their previous work by reading the last product recorded on paper and counting the beads from that number to continue the multiplication. The child is also introduced to the multiplication control chart, which they can use to verify their work.
Suggested At-Home Activities:
- Peg Board: Encourage the child to work with a peg board, where the material itself provides a control of error. The child can visually check if they’ve taken the correct number of pegs. This activity is sensory as the child can see that perfect squares form a square shape, while other combinations form rectangles. Provide a sheet for the child to record the product.
- Multiplication by Coloring: Give the child grid paper and ask them to color the squares corresponding to the multiplicand, repeating it the number of times indicated by the multiplier. Alternatively, you can use two dice to randomly select the multiplicand and multiplier. The child can count the colored squares in the grid to find the product.
- Multiplication Puzzles: Create three-piece puzzles where one piece shows a multiplication combination (e.g., 3 * 7), the second piece represents the combination with dots, and the third piece shows the product. Mix up the pieces and let the child choose one. They will then find the corresponding combination by counting the dots.
