Using this Sharing Chocolate Rows and Columns Activity, students partition a rectangle into rows and columns of same-size squares and count to find the total number of them.
Rows, columns and a lot of counting
In 1st grade, arrays are an early sneak peek at multiplication. Kids learn that an array is objects lined up in neat rows and columns, like eggs in a carton or seats on a bus. They count the rows, count how many are in each row, and find the total by counting or adding: 3 rows of 4 = 4 + 4 + 4 = 12. Arrays also help with skip counting and with seeing equal groups. Full multiplication comes later, so the goal now is noticing the pattern. The click moment is when kids realize they do not have to count every single one.
Six-year-olds learn arrays by building them, finding them and talking about what they see.
Give kids a handful of counters and say "Make 2 rows of 5." They line them up, then count. Next, turn the paper sideways and ask if the total changed. Building first makes rows and columns real before kids ever draw them.
Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.
Try it withSharing Chocolate Rows and Columns ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Show an egg carton and ask "How many eggs? How did you figure it out?" Some kids count by ones, some by twos, some add rows. Sharing strategies helps everyone see a faster way.
Why it works: when kids say the precise math words, their understanding gets sharper, a recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education's elementary math guide.
Walk the classroom or hallway looking for arrays: window panes, tiles, crayon boxes. Kids draw what they find as dots in rows. Spotting arrays in real life helps the idea stick.
Why it works: pairing a picture with each word gives kids two ways to remember it, a well-tested principle of how people learn (Mayer, 2009).
Teacher favorites right now: Sharing Chocolate Rows and Columns Activity.
Many 1st grade classes introduce arrays as a way to see equal groups and practice counting and adding. Arrays become a bigger focus in 2nd grade, when they connect to repeated addition and early multiplication.
An array is a set of objects arranged in equal rows and columns. An egg carton with 2 rows of 6 eggs is a great example. Kids can count rows and columns to find the total.
Arrays are the picture behind multiplication. Counting rows of the same size builds skip counting and repeated addition, which make multiplication easier in later grades.
Look for arrays in muffin tins, egg cartons and window panes. Ask your child how many rows, how many in each row and how many in all. Snack arrays are always a hit.
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