Teaching the partial products algorithm with the concrete representational abstract sequence and the strategic instruction model

Abstract

AbstractElementary standards include multiplication of single‐digit numbers and students advance to solve complex problems and demonstrate procedural fluency in algorithms. The ability to illustrate procedural fluency in algorithms is dependent on the development of understanding and reasoning in multiplication. Development of multiplicative reasoning provides the foundation for advanced mathematics and algebraic reasoning. For students who struggle in mathematics, instruction in multiplication algorithms should ensure conceptual understanding so that students have a foundation for success in advanced mathematics. The concrete representational abstract (CRA) sequence addresses conceptual understanding and the strategic instruction model (SIM) supports procedural knowledge. The current pilot study combined these methods to teach elementary students the partial products algorithm. Twelve students in grades four and five participated in the study, receiving instruction from teachers in their school during an intervention period. Within a pre‐experimental design, using pre‐ and postintervention data, students showed a significant change in performance. The article will describe and show how teachers implemented the CRA‐SIM interventions and discuss implications for practice.