Here’s a quick free math tutoring video about how to teach division using Cuisenaire Rods. Division is no problem at all if children are used to doing multiplication with the rods because the “picture” is exactly the same.
In this video I only talk about the interpretation of division being a whole amount divided into groups of a certain amount. You can also teach the other meaning of division – a whole being divided into a certain number of groups. For that, you would ask the child something like (for 24÷3) “Which rod will go evenly into 24 three times?” and the child would find that he can fit the 8-rod under 24 three times.
Cuisenaire Rods are a wonderful manipulative, useful for everything from addition all the way to fraction/decimals/percents and even beyond (with a few cosmetic changes to the rods).
This free math tutoring video shows a great activity for children to work independently with in practicing their multiplication facts. Set it up and let them at it!
This game in this free math tutoring video can be played without Cuisenaire Rods, but it would be especially valuable to use them with children who don’t yet have their multiplication tables memorized or don’t know how to figure out products without counting or using a chart.
This not only gets children practicing their multiplication facts, but also gets them adding large numbers as they keep track of their score, and there is some strategy involved as well in figuring out where to put the rectangles. Winner is the child with the most total points at the end of the game (when no more moves are available).
Another example of something you can do besides drill and kill to help your kids learn their multiplication facts!
