Multiplication Tables for 2s and 10sActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning helps students internalize multiplication tables by moving, touching, and seeing patterns. For the 2s and 10s tables, physical movement and visual grouping make skip counting and repeated addition concrete. This builds fluency while reducing reliance on memorization alone.
Learning Objectives
- 1Calculate the product of multiplication problems involving the 2 and 10 times tables using skip counting.
- 2Identify the pattern of even numbers in the 2 times table and the place value shift in the 10 times table.
- 3Compare the results of skip counting by 2s and 10s to solve multiplication problems.
- 4Recall and state facts from the 2 and 10 times tables with increasing speed.
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Partner Skip Counting Relay: 2s and 10s
Pairs stand at one end of the room with a beanbag. They skip count aloud by 2s or 10s while passing the beanbag to the front and back. The first pair to reach the target number without errors wins a point. Rotate roles after each round.
Prepare & details
What pattern do you notice in the 2 times table and the 10 times table?
Facilitation Tip: During Partner Skip Counting Relay, stand back and watch for students who lose track of the pattern or rush ahead.
Setup: Presentation area at front, or multiple teaching stations
Materials: Topic assignment cards, Lesson planning template, Peer feedback form, Visual aid supplies
Array Building Stations: Repeated Addition
Set up stations with counters and grids. Groups build arrays for facts like 2x3 or 10x5, then write the equation and repeated addition. Rotate stations every 7 minutes and share one pattern noticed. Clean up counters together.
Prepare & details
How does skip counting in 2s or 10s help you answer multiplication questions?
Facilitation Tip: At Array Building Stations, listen for students describing groups as 'two rows of five' to reinforce language.
Setup: Presentation area at front, or multiple teaching stations
Materials: Topic assignment cards, Lesson planning template, Peer feedback form, Visual aid supplies
Multiplication Hopscotch: Whole Class Grid
Draw a hopscotch grid on the floor with multiples of 2 and 10. Students hop to call out the next fact correctly, such as landing on 4 and saying 2x2=4. Groups compete in turns, correcting errors as a class.
Prepare & details
Can you recall facts from the 2 and 10 times tables quickly and use them to solve problems?
Facilitation Tip: In Multiplication Hopscotch, position yourself near the board to quickly correct errors on the number line.
Setup: Presentation area at front, or multiple teaching stations
Materials: Topic assignment cards, Lesson planning template, Peer feedback form, Visual aid supplies
Shopkeeper Problems: Pairs Application
Pairs get play money and items priced in 10s. They solve problems like buying 2 packs of 10 pencils, using skip counting to find totals. Record answers and swap problems with another pair.
Prepare & details
What pattern do you notice in the 2 times table and the 10 times table?
Facilitation Tip: During Shopkeeper Problems, circulate to notice which pairs rely on counting one by one instead of using known facts.
Setup: Presentation area at front, or multiple teaching stations
Materials: Topic assignment cards, Lesson planning template, Peer feedback form, Visual aid supplies
Teaching This Topic
Teach multiplication as a tool for solving real problems, not just isolated facts. Use a progression from concrete to abstract: start with objects and drawings, move to number lines and arrays, then mental recall. Avoid teaching tricks like 'adding a zero' for 10s without connecting to place value. Research shows that linking multiplication to repeated addition deepens understanding and transfers to division later.
What to Expect
Students will confidently recall 2s and 10s facts, explain connections to addition, and apply them to solve problems. They will identify patterns like even numbers in the 2 times table and the place value shift in the 10 times table. Discussions will show their growing multiplicative reasoning.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Partner Skip Counting Relay, watch for students counting by 1s while saying odd numbers during the 2s relay.
What to Teach Instead
Pause the relay and have students place counters in pairs on a grid. Ask them to count aloud while pointing to each pair to reveal the even pattern. Restart the relay focusing on the even sequence.
Common MisconceptionDuring Array Building Stations, watch for students who build arrays without connecting them to multiplication sentences.
What to Teach Instead
Ask each pair to write the repeated addition and multiplication sentence for their array. Then have them swap arrays and write the matching sentence for a peer’s work.
Common MisconceptionDuring Multiplication Hopscotch, watch for students who ignore the zero in 10s facts and say 'ten five' for 10x5.
What to Teach Instead
Have them build 10x5 using base-10 blocks and trade units for a ten rod. Ask them to say the number while pointing to each ten rod to reinforce the place value shift.
Assessment Ideas
After Partner Skip Counting Relay, give each student a card with a problem like 2x7 or 10x4. Ask them to write the answer and draw a picture showing either repeated addition or skip counting to solve it.
During Array Building Stations, circulate and ask pairs to explain how their array shows 2x6 or 10x3. Listen for correct use of groups and the multiplication sentence.
After Multiplication Hopscotch, ask students: 'When you skip count by 10s, what do you notice about the numbers? How is this different from skip counting by 2s? Explain how this pattern helps you answer multiplication questions faster.'
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge early finishers to create their own sequence of 2s and 10s patterns using art or movement.
- Provide counters and ten-frames for students struggling with 10s to build numbers like 10, 20, 30.
- Deeper exploration: Ask students to write word problems using 2x or 10x facts, then exchange with peers to solve.
Key Vocabulary
| multiplication | A mathematical operation that represents repeated addition of the same number. It is often shown with an 'x' symbol. |
| repeated addition | Adding the same number to itself a specific number of times. For example, 3 + 3 + 3 is repeated addition for 3 groups of 3. |
| skip counting | Counting forward by a specific number, such as counting by 2s (2, 4, 6, 8) or by 10s (10, 20, 30, 40). |
| times table | A list of the results of multiplying a particular number by a sequence of integers, usually from 1 to 10 or 12. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for Mathematical Explorers: Building Foundations
5E Model
The 5E Model structures lessons through five phases (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), guiding students from curiosity to deep understanding through inquiry-based learning.
Unit PlannerMath Unit
Plan a multi-week math unit with conceptual coherence: from building number sense and procedural fluency to applying skills in context and developing mathematical reasoning across a connected sequence of lessons.
RubricMath Rubric
Build a math rubric that assesses problem-solving, mathematical reasoning, and communication alongside procedural accuracy, giving students feedback on how they think, not just whether they got the right answer.
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