Let's Build Arrays
A Free Printable Unit for Early Multiplication
This is part of a series of free math resources on my blog. For the full page of freebies, click here or the menu up top
Multiplication. Do you remember being taught the standard algorithm in school?
Your teacher might have told you that multiplying was just like adding a number over and over again (true!). She may then have written all of the multiplication tables on the board and had you memorize them until you could recite each one in seconds. Having that strong grasp of what multiplication really MEANT and LOOKED like didn't take up a whole lot of class time. Or at least that was my 3rd grade experience in the 90s.
Using an array mat to learn about multiplication is such a smart way to teach, and I was so happy to find these for my own kids when I decided to homeschool. In fact, I made this very unit to use with my own youngest daughter next week! I hope you can use it in your homeschool or classroom too!
Every array comes with 12 rows and 12 columns of boxes. This is so that children can learn to multiply up to 12 x 12. You can teach this concept in two ways.
You can write the multiplication equation at the top of the page first, and talk about how multiplying is an easier way of adding things together that are in equal groups. You can then show this by adding a number of dots to so many columns and rows to show the problem visually.
Here's a quick video I made on Instagram showing how:
Talk about addition with your students. Ask them if they know an easy way to count equal groups of objects, rather than counting them one by one.
Speak about how multiplication is like adding the same amount over and over again, but it makes it easier (and involves a lot less writing)
Ask them how we can add (for example) 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3. (We can count, we can skip count by 3s, we can use a number line)
Show them your NEW way of adding an amount over and over again using multiplication. Adding 3 five times is the same as the equation 5 x 3. It means we are going to add 3 five times.
Show kids how to number the rows on the left of the array. Then add 3 dots to each. "See, we have 5 rows of 3 dots or 3 five times. 5 x 3!
Skip count the dots or count them one by one (depending on the stage of your learners)
Once you go through this a few times, kids can use the center in small groups, or use the smaller arrays in a math journal or as a worksheet.
I truly hope that you and your kids enjoy this freebie!
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