Teaching Multiplications to a child

Multiplication is a difficult concept for any child to learn. It will be easier for a child to learn if he understands the concept. I have found the following idea to be helpful. When you start multiplication get hold of 10 pairs of socks. Place them in front of the child. Explain what a pair means. A pair = 2.

Lay the socks down in pairs of 2.

Explain that one pair is two.

Show that 2 pairs equal 4.

Do the same with 3 pairs and down to ten pairs.

Now, show him that a pair is 1X2 = 2

Two pairs are     2 X 2 = 4

Three pairs are   3 X 2 = 6

Four pairs are     4 X 2 = 8

Five pairs are     5 X 2 = 10

Six pairs are       6 X 2 = 12

Seven pairs are   7 X 2 = 14

Eight pairs are    8 X 2 = 16

Nine pairs are     9 X 2 = 18

Ten pairs are     10 X2  = 20

Do the above until he fully understands the concept of multiplication.

This may also be a good time to show him that switching around the numbers results in the same answer. It does not matter which number is first.

Show him that    2 x 3 = 6

And that            3 X 2 = 6

Place 3 socks and another 3 socks and say 3 X 2 = 6.

This is just to let him know (see) that 2 x 3 = 3 x 2

You could also explain that multiplication is a fast way of adding a series of numbers.

2 x 4 = 2 + 2+ 2 + 2 = 8

2 x 6 = 2 + 2 +2 +2 + 2 + 2 = 12

Show him that if he knows his times' table he can do the process much faster than if he were to add like in the example above.

Another fact you can teach him is that any number multiplied by 2 or 2 multiplied by any number is double the number.

2 X 6 = 6 + 6 = 12

8 X 2 = 8 +8 = 16

Note: This was originally posted on my blog 'How to be an excellent student' on 3/6/11

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Luqman Michel

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3/6/11