This video demonstrates how to use base-10 blocks to help students solve multiplication problems that cannot be solved with automatic retrieval. The use of direct modeling with concrete manipulatives to demonstrate multiplication allows students to think about multiplication as repeated addition of the same set or quantity. A solid conceptual understanding of multiplication results in the ability to use other solution strategies (e.g., traditional algorithm, partial products); it may also be important to acknowledge that while students have moved on to traditional algorithms with other operations (e.g., addition) they may still require the use of concrete manipulatives with learning multiplication.
