Introduction to Equal Groups and Multiplication

Multiplication begins with equal groups, not with times tables. Before students can understand 3 x 4 = 12, they need to understand that three groups of four is the same as 4 + 4 + 4. Arrays (arrangements in rows and columns) are the bridge between equal groups and the symbolic notation. This topic extends beyond the BC Grade 2 curriculum as enrichment, connecting the skip-counting and equal-groups thinking that IS in the curriculum to the formal multiplication concept that appears in Grade 3.