Multiplication!

One of the things that my students have been looking forward to since DAY ONE of 3rd grade is multiplication.  We day finally arrived!  We had our first day of multiplication today.  We discovered (or were reminded-for those who learned this last year) how multiplication and addition are related.  We used fruit loops to practice repeated addition/multiplication and make the connections.

I look forward to watching the students approach multiplication with an eagerness to learn!  I shared with the students my experience with learning multiplication facts when I was their age.  It didn't come easy for me and I fought my mom every time she told me it was time to practice flashcards.  I think it's important for them to see that at times, it might be with multiplication or it might be in some other area of school, things may not come easy and it will take a lot of grit.  But with determination they will be able to learn anything they set their mind to.