Multiplication Fact Assessments
Multiplication is an important concept that students must know in order to be successful mathematicians. This year, students will learn how multiplication works, as well as a variety of strategies to solve problems involving multiplication. Students who can easily recall their multiplication facts will be able to work more quickly and with less effort when solving complex problems. Therefore, the state of Massachusetts expects third grade students to fluently master their multiplication facts through x10 by the end of the school year.
Each week, students will take a timed multiplication quiz. Students must score 80% or higher on one list of facts before moving on to the next. Students will begin with the x0 and x1 facts. Your child's score and the next set of facts they’ll be tested on will be recorded on his/her assessment. After all lists are mastered, students will continue to take mixed review assessments throughout the year to keep their skills sharp.
Each week, students will take a timed multiplication quiz. Students must score 80% or higher on one list of facts before moving on to the next. Students will begin with the x0 and x1 facts. Your child's score and the next set of facts they’ll be tested on will be recorded on his/her assessment. After all lists are mastered, students will continue to take mixed review assessments throughout the year to keep their skills sharp.
Support at Home
Remember that mastering a new skill takes time, practice, and effort. Students will have opportunities to practice their facts during the school day, but they will also require support at home to master their facts. It is suggested that students spend at least 5 - 10 minutes practicing their facts each night during the week.
Here are some helpful tips for practicing at home:
Here are some helpful tips for practicing at home:
- Use the IXL "Multiplication Skill Builders" each week
- Look for/ talk about patterns
- Visualize a model if your head while you practice
- Make flashcards
- Use a deck of cards (multiply by the fact your practicing)
- Make practice tests (time yourself!)
- Use Math Magician
- Play multiplication games online (see: 7 Great Ways to Conquer Your Math Facts or our Links)
- Make up/ look for fun songs/ rhymes to help you remember
- Use the "Cover, Copy, Compare" (CCC Math) method
See more about this effective, research-based study strategy here: Cover, Copy, Compare
Other Multiplication Resources
Multiplication & Repeated Addition
Multiplication is the repeated addition of the same number multiple times. (That word multiple should remind you to think of multiplication!) This quick video from multiplication.com illustrates multiplication as repeated addition using delicious COOKIES! After watching, maybe your families will even let YOU make some delicious multiplication cookies! |
|
The Commutative Property of Multiplication
Another great video from multiplication.com teaches the commutative property of multiplication. The commutative property states that the order of factors will not effect the product of a multiplication equation. For example, 3x4 and 4x3 will both have a product of 12. You can use the commutative property to help you solve tricky problems by switching the order of your factors if one of the factors is easier for you to multiply by! Watch this quick video to see the commutative property in action... |
|
The Distributive Property of Multiplication
The distributive property is a trick mathematicians use all the time! It helps us to break up challenging factors into smaller pieces, or "addends", before multiplying and adding together the parts to find the total product. That may sound confusing, but it's something you've already been using for addition and subtraction. This quick video lesson from LearnZillion does a great job of illustrating how to use the distributive property. By the end of the video, you'll even learn to multiply 7,504x6! WOW! Can you use what you've learned to solve 605x4? Bring in a copy of your thinking and solution for a prize! |
|