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Making Connections Using Multiplication and Division Contexts

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Forging Connections in Early Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Part of the book series: Early Mathematics Learning and Development ((EMLD))

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the connections that can be made by using multiplication and division problem-solving contexts in early childhood education and school settings. Prior to starting school, young children experience many opportunities to make groups using familiar objects, beginning with groups of two and then moving to larger groups such as five and ten. Typically, children begin by using units of one, as shown in counting one-by-one. However, children should experience “groups of” objects larger than one (composite units) early on in their schooling. Another key idea for children to understand is the concept of additive composition, the way that numbers are composed of other numbers (part–whole relationships). The connections are explored between mathematics learning in informal and formal settings; ordinality and cardinality; composing and decomposing quantities; operations and processes; and word problems and representations. To illustrate these connections, we draw on a two-year study undertaken with 84 culturally and linguistically diverse five- to eight-year-olds. During the study, children participated in a series of lessons where they solved multiplication and division problems involving naturally occurring groups of twos, fives, and tens using a variety of materials and multiple representations. Results for the 35 five-year-olds showed improvement in number knowledge, addition and subtraction, early place-value understanding, as well as multiplication and division.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Jennifer Young-Loveridge & Brenda Bicknell

Authors
  1. Jennifer Young-Loveridge
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  2. Brenda Bicknell
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Correspondence to Jennifer Young-Loveridge .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia

    Virginia Kinnear

  2. Faculty of Education and Arts, School of Education, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

    Mun Yee Lai

  3. Faculty of Education, College of Arts, Law and Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

    Tracey Muir

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Young-Loveridge, J., Bicknell, B. (2018). Making Connections Using Multiplication and Division Contexts. In: Kinnear, V., Lai, M., Muir, T. (eds) Forging Connections in Early Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Early Mathematics Learning and Development. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7153-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7153-9_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-7153-9

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