Multiplication and division - The Multiplication Symbol - Planning

In the Year 3 Autumn term lesson on multiplication and division, students take their first steps in understanding the multiplication symbol '×'. This lesson is designed to help children make the connection between repeated addition and multiplication. Key vocabulary such as 'addition', 'multiplication', 'lots of', 'represent', 'interpret', and 'multiplication symbol' are introduced, with resources available to support their learning. Through the use of differentiated sheets, teaching slides, and concrete resources, students are encouraged to explore the concept of multiplication by visualising and writing repeated addition sentences. For example, they learn to see '3 groups of 6' as both '6 + 6 + 6' and '3 × 6', thereby laying the foundation for understanding the multiplication symbol as an efficient way to express repeated addition.

The lesson includes a variety of activities that promote discussion and reasoning. Partner work plays a significant role, where children articulate their understanding by completing sentences like "I know that___________ because ____________." They practice converting pictorial representations into repeated addition and then into multiplication sentences. Reasoning tasks challenge students to consider different representations of multiplication and to compare quantities without necessarily calculating the total. To consolidate their learning, students reflect on what they have learned, the skills they have used, and what they found tricky. The lesson is differentiated to cater to varying levels of understanding, with some children working towards linking equal groups and repeated addition, while others explore the commutative property and the distinction between repeated addition and multiplication.