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Teaching Multiplication as early as 2 years old
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I saw a 4-year-old girl with pain on urination. After my usual history and physical examination, since she was my last patient of the afternoon, I asked the child, Tori, 2 + 2 and she was able to answer it correctly. Then I asked her 2 + 3 and she got it right again. Then I asked the mother if she has started multiplication table with her and she said, "No."
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The mother was surprised when I told her that I would demonstrate an easy way of teaching Tori multiplication by 2. I requested Tori and her mother to stand near the edge of the examining table.
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With a ball pen, I drew two vertical lines about three inches tall with about half an inch space between the two lines. I requested Tori to count it and she did without difficulty. Then about four inches to the right of the first set of two vertical lines, I drew another set of two similar lines. I requested Tori to count the two sets of two vertical lines. She was about to say, "four." I drew more sets of vertical lines making a total of 5 sets or 10 vertical lines total, all separated by about four inches of space.
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On top of each set of two, I wrote, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. I requested Lori to read the numerical signs from 2 to 10. She did it without mistake. Then I covered all of the numerical signs with my arm and I requested to count by 2's without seeing the numbers. And she was able to do it also.
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Under the first two sets of 2's, I wrote, 2 x 2 = 4. And I explained to her the meaning of times or multiplication.
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Beneath the second and third set of 2's, I wrote 2 x 3 = and I asked her for the answer, and she got it 6.
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I repeated the whole process until we reached 2 x 5 = 10. She got all the answer right.
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Tori's mother was surprised that her 4-year-old daughter was able to do simple multiplication by 2 up to 10.
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I requested Tori to do the mental exercise of counting by 2's whenever she is in the car doing nothing. Then I requested the mother to use the same method of demonstrating how to multiply using sets of 3 vertical lines. Then a week later, do the set of 4 vertical lines and so on.
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Before Tori and her mom left the examining room, I told Tori that she is smart in Math and counting and she will be at the top of her in Math.
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Both of them left my office smiling and happy.
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You can use this method of demonstrating multiplication as young as two years old.
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