Lesson 3: Arrays and Equal Groups

Without telling him how many counters there are, give your child 24 counters and 4 small paper plates. Tell him to place the same number of counters on each plate. When he's finished, he should have placed 6 counters on each plate. Say, "You've created equal groups of counters. Each group has the same number. Remember that multiplication is about combining equal groups to find a total or the product." Write 4×6= on the whiteboard, and as you point to the numbers, say, "Here, you have 4 groups, and there are 6 items in each group, so you have 4 groups of 6. The first factor represents the number of groups, and the second factor represents the number in each group." Give your child time to figure out the product. (24)

Now, write 3×5 on the whiteboard, and ask your child to use the counters and plates to show the number of groups. He should use 3 plates and put 5 counters on each one. Ask, "What can you do to figure out the product of 3 times 5?" If needed, remind him that he can count the groups by 5. He should find a product of 15.

Repeat this process with 4×10.

Your child will complete the "Showing Equal Groups" sheet by drawing plates and counters to model the given multiplication sentences. Then he will find the product for each sentence. Remind him to use what he knows about addition to find the products. He can also count the counters in his drawings.

Your child will use the video at the following web link again to work with equal groups in Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream. He will answer the questions on the "Equal Groups in Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream" sheet as he looks through the video.