When I was a kid, my parents used to make me practice my math facts with boring old flashcards and I remember considering the idea of running away to live with a kinder, gentler family who would love me whether or not I knew my math facts. (Thanks, Mom and Dad, for always pushing me to be my best! Sorry I wanted to run away.)
I don't want YOUR children to want to run away from home, so I'm going to be proactive and offer you a link to a WONDERFUL resource: array cards. These cards can be used as flashcards, but are much better because they have embedded meaning. Also, they drive home the area model and underscore the genesis of the formula Lenth x Width = Area.
Here's a link to get them for your child: Array Cards
I recommend that you have your child label the factors on the front and the product on the back. Even better, have your child use the commutative property of multiplication and list BOTH possible factor orders.
For example, if there is a 2 x 3 square, have your student write 2 x 3 AND 3 x 2 on the front of the array card. On the back, simply have them write 6.
Create a "known" pile and an "unknown" pile and focus on the latter. It's OK if your child has to count each square at first to determine the product, but try to encourage him or her to count more efficiently as he or she progresses. After all, skip counting/ repeated addition is the foundation for multiplication.
Enjoy!
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