Tasks and resources for developing children’s multiplicative thinking

Abstract

The development of multiplicative thinking determines largely the extent of the mathematics that a person learns beyond middle primary school. Our current research project has so far revealed that many primary children have a procedural view of aspects of multiplicative thinking that we believe inhibits their progress. This workshop focuses on some of the teaching resources and tasks that have been developed from our research. The purpose of these tasks is to promote the development of conceptual understanding of 'the multiplicative situation' and the many connections within it and with other big ideas such as proportional reasoning and algebraic thinking.