Why this project?
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There are many reasons why students struggle with mathematics in today’s schools. The use of less accessible instructional strategies implemented by teachers along with the limited support that students receive regarding mathematics instruction outside of the classroom all impact a student’s developing skills.
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Since foundational mathematical skills are introduced in the elementary school classroom, the opportunities and challenges of learning mathematics are greatest among our elementary school learners.
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Challenges in understanding mathematics are not limited to any particular demographic.
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Teachers in general education classrooms need to know how to implement the most effective strategies to successfully assist all developing learners in their mathematics classes, including those who are challenged by the concept of multiplication.
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“Uniform instructional approaches” will not satisfy the needs of all students (Sherman, Richardson, & Yard, 2005, p. 1).
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With inclusion becoming increasingly prevalent in schools today, teachers are faced with diverse classrooms full of students who are all on different academic levels. Students come from a variety of backgrounds and exhibit different learning styles; these backgrounds and learning styles come together collectively and present teachers with the opportunity to educate their students in diverse, relevant, responsive, and unique ways. It is the teacher’s responsibility to differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners in their classroom.
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Rote memorization of multiplication facts is not sufficient enough for developing learners to fully comprehend what multiplication is, what it does, its limits and rules, and how they, as students, can use it.
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Students need to develop computational fluency with multiplication in meaningful and authentic ways (Harvey-Swanston, 2017, p. 20).
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The opportunity gap in the early childhood mathematics classroom, and particularly for multiplication, is manageable if teachers are willing and able to creatively teach mathematical concepts and utilize a variety of approaches to make mathematics relevant and responsive to students’ needs.
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Being able to provide an equitable education for all students is emphasized in the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics Access and Equity statement (2014). Equity is important in mathematics education, as we need to have “high expectations and strong support for all students” within our school system (NCTM, n.d.).
References
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Harvey-Swanston, R. (2017). “I was good at my times-tables when I was nine, now I can’t remember them”: Learning multiplication facts with conceptual understanding. Mathematics Teaching, (259), 20–22. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=127125598&site=ehost-live
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NCTM. (n.d.). Principles, standards, and expectations. Retrieved from https://www.nctm.org/Standards-and-Positions/Principles-and-Standards/Principles,-Standards,-and-Expectations/
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Sherman, H. J., Richardson, L. I., & Yard, G. J. (2005). Teaching children who struggle with mathematics: A systematic approach to analysis and correction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.