ABSTRACT
The introduction of the multiplication and division operations represents a significant change in children’s dealings with number, that is, children must now contend with a change in the nature of the unit. As children progress from additive to multiplicative situations they experience two major unit-related changes, namely, changes in what the numbers are and changes in what they are about (Hiebert & Behr, 1988). We begin this chapter by considering some of the major types of multiplication and division situations and the approaches adopted in analyzing these. We then consider how we might best assist children in acquiring meaningful and comprehensive mental models of these situations. Here, we revisit our three-pronged schematic system for the solving of computational word problems. The second part of the chapter addresses procedural models of multiplication and division, including the learning of basic number facts and the development of multidigit multiplication and division.
