One small thing!

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Home : 2002 : January : 11

One small thing!
By Judy

This really isn't a fun way to "teach" 2 digit multiplication, but it helps. When the kids get finished multiplying by the ones digit tell them to "Zap, Zap, Zero!" They zap(put a line through) all carries, zap the ones
digit, and place their zero in the ones place of the second row. It has caught on very well with my students. I have also heard about X's and O's. X out the carries and the ones digit and put your "O" in the ones place. I know this isn't a really cute lesson, but it does help.
Also, for practice, put students in pairs and give them two dice. One student rolls the dice to get the

first 2-digit number, and the other rolls for the second. (If they roll a 5 and a 3, that could be 53 or 35; it's their choice.) Then they race to see who gets the correct answer first. You can set up your own scoring rules. The kids really like getting in pairs and using the dice.