Repeated Addition and Multiplication

Introduction

• Draw two circles on the board with five dots in each. Ask students what addition problem you’ve drawn (5 + 5). Write the addition problem on the board.
• Review the term repeated addition and explain: Each of these circles have five dots, so we are adding the same number twice. This is called repeated addition because we are adding the same number, or equal groups, repeatedly.
• Connect to multiplication and explain, "Multiplication is another way to add equal groups. So, when we see an addition problem with equal groups, like this one, we can also think of it as a multiplication problem. We have two equal groups of five, so two times five is equal to 5 + 5."
• Tell students, "Today we are going to practice using repeated addition as a strategy to multiply."