![]() (For example, if a player rolls a 4 and a 5, they will build an array measuring 4 by 5.) Those numbers are the dimensions of their array. I let my students choose the dice they want to play with (it’s amazing how students are really able to choose their just-right level independently!) My students just learning multiplication usually select a set of dice that has only numbers 1-4, whereas other students may challenge themselves with numbers 5-10. Array Capture is an activity that can be easily modified by providing students with different sets of dice. Again, it helps students by providing them with a visual model. This is a fun center that allows students to play with a friend. We take a picture of it at the end, sometimes printing them to add to their math portfolios 3. I have students record their multiplication sentences on Post-It notes and place them next to their array. ![]() This center is also great for students who have weak fine motor skills and may be frustrated by the cutting aspect of Array Skylines. However, I have other students who make massive arrays and show their ability to solve multi-digit multiplication problems by chunking it into smaller arrays. My struggling students stick to the smaller pieces and focus on arrays up to 6 x 6. MULTIPLICATION LEGO ARRAYSĬome on! What kid doesn’t LOVE Legos? The simple act of putting Legos out at math time sells itself! Similar to Array Skylines, this center allows students to have a visual model and has multiple access points to meet a range of learners. My students who are comfortable with their multiplication facts love this center too because they can challenge themselves to create massive skyscrapers and discover new strategies to solve more complex multiplication problems. They take pride in seeing their pictures hanging in the classroom. My struggling students who lack confidence in their multiplication facts LOVE this center because it gives them a visual model, and they enjoy creating something in the process. ![]() Making city skylines out of arrays… why not? This activity is easily modified by using different-sized graph paper (1-inch squares vs. In addition to several board games and computer games/apps that my students also have access to during centers, here are my TOP 10 MULTIPLICATION CENTER IDEAS. It has been really fun for me to watch students start to gain confidence in their skills and start to challenge themselves to not bring a reference with them. For example, each student created their own book of multiples, where they colored in a hundred chart to help them recognize patterns in skip counting. We also created some references materials that students could bring with them to their center. We made a board that showed which centers were independent, those that required a small group, and those that could be played either way. I put a bunch of them together and began introducing them to my students. ![]() It turns out that there are LOADS of activities that were perfectly suited to my multiplication needs. I started sifting through all of my first-grade binders (I know we all still have our lesson plans from our student teaching, so let’s stop pretending to be surprised that I have my binders from last year! Haha!) Were there any that I could possibly modify to use with multiplication? Even if I could, would my students turn their noses up at them because they were too babyish? I then thought back to my six years of teaching math centers in first grade. A few ideas came right to mind, but it wasn’t enough of a variety to engage all of my kiddos. For other students, one worksheet is overwhelming and their confidence plummets when they see their peers running up to the finished work bin with three sheets in hand.ĮNOUGH! I needed my students to participate in more meaningful learning in a comparison-free environment, all while being differentiated enough to meet my wide range of learners. For some students, you can never have enough worksheets because they are finished before you even have a moment to put out the next. All of our students process the concept of multiplication differently and therefore will build their fluency and understanding at different rates. If you’ve ever taught multiplication, you know how hard it can be to help students build fluency with their facts.
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