::Early multiplication/division::

Multiplication

“Multiplication is: 1.An efficient way of adding sets of equal numbers of objects. 2. Magnification, often associated with enlargement or scale. The children will understand multiplication both as an efficient way of adding equal numbers and as magnification, and will be able to use the language patterns and to record multiplication in the accepted form” (Biggs and Sutton, 1983, p.52-53).

For example:
There are 3 cherries on a cupcake. How many cherries are there on 5 cupcakes?
5 x 3 = 15

This is the example of task sheet that the teacher could use to teach multiplication:

Taken from: Irons, R.R. (2003). Growing with Mathematics: Student Book. Chicago: Wright Group/McGraw-Hill.(page 89)

This task sheet requires the children to draw the legs of the people in the pictures. Then, they have to count the total number of legs in each group by multiplying the number of legs with the total number of people in each group. For example: 2 x 4 = 8 legs in all (first picture).

Division

“There are two aspects of division and three associated language patterns. The two aspects are sharing and subtraction” (Biggs and Sutton, 1983, p.62).

• Sharing

“In sharing, a collection of objects (or a quantity) is divided into a given number of equal sets (or parts); objects in a set are then counted. The two language patterns for sharing are:-

           # Share a number or marbles among 4 children. How many does each have?

            #Find one quarter of the set of marbles”

                                                                                                (Biggs and Sutton, 1983, p.62)

This is the example of task sheet that the teacher could use to teach about the concept of sharing in division process:

Taken from: Irons, R.R. (2003). Growing with Mathematics: Student Book. Chicago: Wright Group/McGraw-Hill.(page 91)

This task sheet requires the children to find the total amount of the objects, and then shared the total amount of the object evenly among 2 boxes. Finally, the children will find the total amount of the objects in each box. For example: 10 divided by 2 = 5 objects in each box.

• Subtraction

“The subtraction aspect is sometimes called the grouping or measuring aspect. Its language pattern is:

            #How many sets of a given number of objects can be made from this collection?”

                                                                                       (Biggs and Sutton, 1983, p.62)

For example: 
There are 21 apples in the basket. How many people will get the apples if each of them get 3 apples? 
21 divided by 3= 7 people