Turn Arrays into Multiplication Sentences

Turn Arrays into Multiplication Sentences

What students learn

Students learn how to turn an array into repeated addition and then into a multiplication sentence. Begin with Repeated Addition: Turn Arrays into a Sum so students can hear the array as a set of equal addends.

Why it matters

This lesson bridges pictures and equations. Students stop counting every object one by one and start using the structure of the array to write a faster math sentence. Pair that with Repeated Addition: Write the Multiplication Equation to show the jump from sums to facts.

Learn the idea

A multiplication sentence has two factors and one product. The factors tell the size of the rows and how many rows there are. A repeated addition sentence shows the same group added again and again. Watch Multiplication Sentences: Match the Picture to the Equation and have students match the picture to 3 + 3 + 3 = 9 and 3 x 3 = 9.

Try it

Show an array with 4 rows of 2. Ask the student to write the repeated addition sentence, the multiplication sentence, and the product. Then use Multiplication Sentences: Use Rows and Columns as Factors to confirm which number names the rows and which number names the objects in each row.

Parent guide

When a child says the answer, ask them to prove it with the picture. If they skip the repeated addition step, ask them to say the groups out loud first: "2, 2, 2, 2." Then ask what multiplication fact matches. Keep the work short and concrete so the pattern becomes familiar.