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The acquisition of basic multiplication skills

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Abstract

Children learning the basic multiplications, use knowledge which they acquired in former stages. Certain additions, for instance the doubles, known by heart, can support the learning process for multiplication. It makes a great difference in cognitive achievement whether children know multiplication facts by heart or whether they are able to figure out basic multiplications. If education supports the development of informal thinking strategies, children become so skilled at this, that the border between ‘figuring out’ and ‘knowing by heart’ will gradually disappear. By using informal strategies children will acquire a flexible mental structure of multiplication facts instead of a collection of rules.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Curriculum Development, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Hans Ter Heege

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  1. Hans Ter Heege
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Ter Heege, H. The acquisition of basic multiplication skills. Educ Stud Math 16, 375–388 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00417193

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00417193

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