Megan ODonnell

Kling and Williams Article Summary

In their article, Steps to Mastering Multiplication Facts, Gina Kling and Jennifer M. BayWilliams talk about how to help students know more than just how to recite a list of
multiplication facts that they have seen over and over. The idea that the authors try to get across
is that knowing the facts of multiplication is much more than simply reciting them, it fully
understands them and how the basic facts (the authors label the 2s, 5s, and 10s as the basics) can
then be used to create knowledge of other multiplication facts. The authors make a really good
point because when it comes down to it, being able to recite the squares does nothing for a
student when they begin to learn square roots and the quadratic formula if they dont understand
the concept of squaring. A student needs to truly know the multiplication facts, backwards and
forwards, in order to advance in school.
The authors describe a number of strategies to teach the students their multiplication facts
to a level of understanding much higher than simply memorization and recitation. These
methods include picture drawing, decomposing and game playing. I think each idea has its pros
and cons, but they all definitely help students learn by practicing. Practicing is something that
the authors press on and I agree. Students cannot be expected to learn something by going over
it one time, and multiplication facts are definitely no exception. Students should be able to learn
their math facts in uncompetitive, supportive location that is not surrounded by negative attention
and stress. It will help them learn a lot better.
The games and activities that the authors describe provide that type of situation. It allows
students to create fun strategies in their own heads without having the stress of trying to compete
with their peers freaking themselves out. I like the activities that the authors give as examples

because they show the multiple intelligences and they give a change for all multiple intelligences
to learn. I also think they are not the usual way to teach multiplication facts and therefore can
help teach a full understanding of the facts rather than just memorization, a characteristic that the
authors deemed as valuable for the full knowledge of multiplication facts.
I think that this information will be truly helpful in my future classroom no matter what
grade level I am in, because even first graders will learn basic addition facts. Knowing what it
means to let them have the full understanding of the facts will let me create lessons that can give
them just that instead of having them memorize for recitation. This article will definitely be kept
around as a reference for my future lesson planning.