Multiplication as Repeated Addition - PowerPoint

In primary mathematics education, understanding multiplication is fundamental, and one effective way to introduce this concept is by relating it to repeated addition. Year 1 students are taught to see multiplication as a shortcut for adding the same number several times. For example, instead of adding four threes together (3 + 3 + 3 + 3), which equals 12, students learn that this can be more efficiently expressed as 3 multiplied by 4 (3 x 4), also resulting in 12. This method simplifies the process and lays the groundwork for developing numeracy skills.

The teaching materials present various scenarios where multiplication as repeated addition can be visualised. One example shows four groups of three flowers, which can be added repeatedly to reach a total of 12. This is equivalent to the multiplication sentence 3 x 4 = 12. Similarly, if there are three groups of two mice, the total number of mice can be found by either adding two three times (2 + 2 + 2) or by multiplying 2 by 3 (2 x 3), with both methods yielding a result of 6. The resources include worksheets that encourage students to write both the repeated addition and multiplication sentences to illustrate given pictures, reinforcing the concept that these two mathematical operations are interconnected.