to ask you about the grid method?

[malika54]

DS in year 4. New teacher is teaching them multiplications through the grid method. What the actual fuck? Is it just me who thinks it's way more complicated and time consuming???

It's a stepping stone to understanding why formal column method works. The understanding is important.

No I like it. Use it at secondary as well.

Lots of weaker students understand that better than traditional long multiplication. Yabu

eg here

It's a good strategy to show place value.

Ooooh. Was never taught it written down like that but I do a sort-of method like that in my head. It's really good if you find big numbers intimidating I think. Am going to remember that!

Hate the grid method but can see why it is used.

When multiplying decimals in my opinion, nothing beats the Chinese grid method. I always show this method to students who are not confident at multiplying. Hate normal grid method is good for understanding grid method but awful when multiplying decimals and if students are prone to mistakes when adding at the end

It takes way longer than formal method because it shows each step much more explicitly. The whole point is that the children can see what they are actually doing, rather than just blindly multiplying one digit numbers and putting them in the right columns. If kids understand the maths they are doing, rather than just memorising a method, they are much more likely to succeed and be able to self-correct any errors.

Chinese multiplication is a lovely quick way to multiply big numbers/decimals, but it won't help a child understand how to do it.

i was never able to do long multiplication until i learned the grid method. different brains work different ways. i'm so glad maths is taught using various methods now, so kids like me who are capable but perhaps not understanding one method also get a chance to do well. when i resat my maths gcse as an adult, i jumped 5 grades from a D to an A*.

I like the grid method.

Currently teaching the grid method. As PP have said, it helps them to understand what they are actually doing, which will benefit them in the long run. Nothing more frustrating than them not understanding place value.

As @MsHoneyBee said, it's great for helping children understand what they're doing. Students get to see whats happening in the manipulation.

It is just one of many methods. Children find one that suits them and run with it. This tends to be more foolproof though. It can take more time but can be extended to work with decimal multiplication.

"Lots of weaker students understand that better than traditional long multiplication."

In my experience it has nothing to do with a student's ability. Most prefer it. Takes more time but the students tend to make fewer mistakes.

Grid method worked well for my not-mathematical DD1 all the way to GCSE (she got a high B).
DD2 is now using Napier's method which is working for her.
Horses for courses.

That's how I would do it. Didn't know it had a name but makes it much easier in my head

YABU. If you are questioning the teacher's methods then why don't ask he/she to explain why they are using a different strategy from what you are used to?

They aren't doing it just to piss you off. Nor are they making stuff up. Primary students learn a wide range of strategies for calculations these days. It really helps to cement their understanding of a maths topic.

I teach Year Four. I think the grid method is great. Not all students understand the column method.

I just followed the link posted by OwlinaTree, and thats what I do in my head. Other people used to tell me it was long winded and over complicated, but once you learn all the possible combinations from 0 - 9 its faster.

These methods come and go.
My DS (8) hates grid method , does it the old fashioned way instead. Not sure what school are going to do,