Teaching Multiplication

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Teaching Multiplication Facts to Students with
Learning Difficulties
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A Graduate Research Project
By Theresa L. Lemus Santos
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The Problem
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The overarching problem is that students with
disabilities have difficulty learning
multiplication facts.
Why??
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Existing Research

• Smith and Smith, 2006 - retention and
  comprehension
• Masoura, 2006 - working memory
• Burns, 2005 - Processing
• Stading and Williams, 1996 - use counting

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How do students with disabilities learn best?
Williams and Collins, 1994

• 3 modalities
• 3 stages

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The Project
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Using the Research of

• Williams and Collins, 1994
• Brookhart, Andolina, Zuza, and Furman, 2004 -
  Self assessment
• To design a program to teach multiplication facts

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The Concrete Stage
In this stage, multiplication facts revolve
around a physical model of a key.
FOR EXAMPLE 3 x 6 would be
10
18
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The Semi-Concrete Stage
Varies from the concrete stage
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Symbolic Stage

• Presents the facts in their traditional form.

3 x 6 18
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Methodology Used
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The Groups

• Students with Disabilities
• Experimental and Control Group
• Consist of 7 students each
• General Education Students
• Experimental and Control Group
• Consist of 20 and 21 students respectively

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The Instruction

• Two 30-minute sessions per week
• Experimental Group The program
• Control Group Traditional flash cards
• The Hypothesis
• Pre-test/Post-test
• Fact quizzes and student self-assessment

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Findings
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Table 1. Results of t-Test for Independent Means
Students with Disabilities
M SD t p
Experimental group 47.86 1.88 1.73 0.05
Control group 41.29 3.30
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Table 1. Results of t-Test for Independent Means
General Education Students
M SD t p
Experimental group 49.85 .10 3.29 0.0011
Control group 43.57 1.60
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Conclusions
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The Results

• Pre-test scores low
• Means of the Posttests
• T-test results

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Implications
For Education
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• Use of multi-sensory approach
• Concrete to Symbolic
• Student Self-assessment

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References
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• Brookhart, S. M., Andolina, M., Zuza, M.,
  Furman, R. (2004). Minute math An action
  research study of student self-assessment.
  Educational Studies in Mathematics, 57, 213-227.
  
• Burns, M. (2005). Using incremental rehearsal to
  increase fluency of single-digit multiplication
  facts with children identified as learning
  disabled in mathematics computation. Education
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• Campbell, J. I. D. (1997). On the relation
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• Robinson, K. M., Arbuthnott, K. D., Gibbons, K.
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