Does anyone think multiplication is taught badly in primary school?

Fremen

I was thinking about this recently. The way which I was taught to do multiplication in primary school is completely different to the way I do it now.
I was taught to start with the least significant digit of each number and carry overflows, then sum the totals.
I reckon it's much more helpful for mental arithmetic to start with the most significant digit and keep a running sum. For instance,
37 X 29 becomes (30 + 7) x (20 + 9) = ((((30X20) + 30X9) + 7X20) + 7X9).
Does anyone else do mental arithmetic like this?

Nevyn

Mental maths is a different skill and yes I do think that miltiplication needs to be
taought different, hell maths does.
Kids are still being told to learn tables by rote and not tought what they mean or the process of multipling.

Tar.Aldarion

I thought multiplication was taught fine, then again, that's easy to say if you are not bad at maths.
It would depend on the teacher, I was taught what they meant and the process...

breadmonkey

Thaedydal wrote:

Mental maths is a different skill and yes I do think that miltiplication needs to be
taought different, hell maths does.
Kids are still being told to learn tables by rote and not tought what they mean or the process of multipling.

What do you think is a better alternative to learning tables? They are fundamental to 'long' multiplication.

tolosenc

Most things are taught badly in primary school. Irish, Maths...

cunnins4

I had a conversation similar to this with my grandad a while ago. He's very into "old school" methods of doing everything and rarely uses a calculator. He put it in the simplest terms I could: "we just used to come up with tricks for multiplying in our heads" Such as 64x13= 64x10=640 + 60x3=640+180=820 + 4x3=820+12=832

That's exactly the same way i'd do it, and i'd say most people would. Initially learning off tables seems like a bad way to teach it, but you've to start somewhere. After that, I think everyone finds their own way. Not really down to how it's taught in school.

My 2c.

aequinoctium

Vedic Maths...

google it! it's fantastic!

breadmonkey

aequinoctium wrote:

Vedic Maths...

google it! it's fantastic!

Yeah there was a thread about it a while ago. I read up on it a bit and really thought it was excellent.

New Year's Resolution: learn some Vedic Maths!

Initially, I thought that if they had been teaching us this since primary school we would all be mental arithmetic machines but having thought about it a bit more, I think it might be too confusing to learn that kind of stuff when the focus of your mathematics studies is basically how to multiply, divide etc.

Big Tone

Excellent link, my mental maths has improved no end!

Big Tone

Excellent link, my mental maths has improved no end, just follow the link to the Tutorials and you'll be an arithmetic acrobat in no time!

JC 2K3

Thaedydal wrote:

Kids are still being told to learn tables by rote and not tought what they mean or the process of multipling.

When I was in primary school I most certainly did know what multiplication meant and was taught and understood the process of multiplying. Knowing tables is a necessary skill for handling more difficult sums.

And you learn long multiplication and long division in primary school, also, it's hardly just tables. I don't know where you get this notion that kids aren't taught what multiplication means.

JC 2K3

Fremen wrote:

I was thinking about this recently. The way which I was taught to do multiplication in primary school is completely different to the way I do it now.
I was taught to start with the least significant digit of each number and carry overflows, then sum the totals.
I reckon it's much more helpful for mental arithmetic to start with the most significant digit and keep a running sum. For instance,
37 X 29 becomes (30 + 7) x (20 + 9) = ((((30X20) + 30X9) + 7X20) + 7X9).
Does anyone else do mental arithmetic like this?

I'd do that sum in my head like (37X9)+(37X20), kinda the same I guess. AFAIK I was taught something along those lines in school(there were 2 methods of multiplication in my maths book).

I think multiplication is taught fine in school. Vedic maths might be a bit confusing for some children to learn, although I do believe that it should be in the curriculum at some stage. Perhaps in some sort of Junior Cert Applied Maths course?

Although I do think subtraction is taught vey badly. The minus sign on the left can be confusing sometimes, especially when subtracting negative numbers. I always feel it is best to out the sign above the actual sum.

Just my two cents.

Nehpets

12
13 -
___
0

That's the way I did it in primary school Fist day of secondary school. "They lied to you, numbers can go below zero"

37 x 29 = (30x30) = 900 + (7 x 30) = 1110 - 37 = 1073

37    (9x7) = 63, use the 3 carry the 6
29 x  (9x3) = 27, add the 6, 33 --> 333
----  (add a zero on bottom line for the laugh)
333   (2x7) = 14, use four, carry one
740   (2x3) = 6, and one, = 7 ==> 740
----
1073

thinks that what i did in primary