Single Digit Multiplication Resources

Once your students have become comfortable with additional and subtraction, it will be time to introduce them to multiplication, starting with single digit multiplication. At its root, multiplication is a way to determine a total number based on a number of groups and the number contained in each group. Understanding this now will help them when they move on to Multi-digit multiplicationProblems.
While memorization is key to single digit multiplication, you must ensure your students understand the underlying concepts. A multiplication problem consists of two number, each called a factor. As with an addition problem, the order of the factors does not impact the answer or the product.
One of the factors represents a number of groups. The other factor is the number contained within each group. You can demonstrate this to your students with real world items. Get 3 boxes of crayons. If each box has 8 crayons, how many crayons are there total. Show your students the addition problem they would solve for the answer:
8 + 8 + 8
Now explain that since there are three 8’s in the problem, it could be written as a multiplication problem:
8 x 3
This will demonstrate that there are three groups of eight so your student will understand that one factor represents the number of groups. Explain that the reason this problem is read at “8 times 3” is that we’re determining the result of “8, 3 times.”
Once your student understands the core concepts behind multiplication, you may be able to reinforce this and begin working towards memorization using the resources provided by Education.com above.