Grade 3 Math Book · Multiplication & Division
Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream
by Cindy Neuschwander
Amanda loves to count everything, one at a time. Then she dreams of sheep riding bicycles and knitting, far too many to count one by one, and wakes up ready to learn multiplication.
Why it's useful
A funny story that shows kids why multiplication is worth learning.
- Equal groups. Windows in rows, tiles in a pattern and sheep in groups all become multiplication.
- Counting vs. multiplying. Kids feel how slow one-by-one counting is and see the shortcut.
- Arrays everywhere. The pictures are full of rows and columns to spot and count.
Try it in class or at home
- Array hunt. Walk around the school and find arrays (windows, ceiling tiles, egg cartons).
- Count it two ways. Count a picture by ones, then by multiplying, and compare the time.
- Write it down. Turn an array into a multiplication sentence: 4 rows of 6 is 4 × 6 = 24.