Workshop: Strategies for Multiplication Facts

Gather Strategies for the Fives and Tens. Display the Multiplication Table Master. Color the 5s and 10s to focus students on those multiplication facts and refer students to Question 1 in the Student Guide. As directed in Question 1, ask students to work with a partner to describe the strategies used to solve the multiplication facts for the 5s and the 10s.

While students are working, make note of the strategies students are using and identify a few students to share their strategy. Look for students using skip counting strategies and those using reasoning strategies. Ask these students to record these strategies on the corresponding chart paper you prepared. Refer students to the strategies displayed on the chart and those displayed in Question 2 in the Student Guide and ask them to discuss Question 2A and B with their partner. Students should notice that skip counting strategies are efficient for smaller products, but other strategies, like reasoning from known facts, are more efficient for larger products.

Gather Strategies for the 2s and 3s, 9s, and Square Numbers. Repeat the class discussion for the multiplication facts for the 2s and 3s, the 9s, and the square numbers using Questions 3–8. To make this conversation more efficient, assign Questions 3–4 to one-third of the class, Questions 5–6 to another third of the class, and Questions 7–8 to the other third of the class. As a result of these conversations, be sure a chart of strategies is created for each multiplication fact group. Students may need Centimeter Grid Paper to help them show their strategy. Again, a specific strategy is not required, but students should find strategies that work for them. The most efficient strategies are those that use multiplication facts that students know.

Discuss Strategies for Multiplying by Zero and One. Refer students to Question 9 in the Student Guide. In this question students are asked to write a multiplication problem to help them remember how to multiply by zero and 1. After students have written these stories, ask them to share their stories with a partner. Listen for students that are not accurately multiplying by zero or 1. Share some of these stories with the class and discuss how to change the story.