Making Math Moments That Matter Avoid this Mistake When Teaching Multiplication: An Interview with Dr. Alex Lawson
Jan 1, 2026
Dr. Alex Lawson, a mathematics education researcher, challenges traditional methods of teaching multiplication. She argues against the 'groups of' approach, suggesting it limits student understanding. Instead, Alex advocates starting with rates and labeling referents to deepen comprehension. She highlights the long-term benefits of this method, connecting it to division and problem-solving. With practical strategies for teachers, she encourages a shift in perspective that can significantly enhance students' multiplicative reasoning.
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Childhood Textbook Turned Brother Off Math
- Alex remembers first noticing harmful curriculum changes when his brother abandoned math after a confusing post‑Sputnik textbook.
- That family moment shaped Alex's concern that school math can feel irrelevant or damaging to learners.
Groups‑Of Model Limits Multiplicative Reasoning
- Alex found the common 'groups of' approach to multiplication may be a poor foundation for multiplicative reasoning.
- Research suggested focusing on rate and referents gives a stronger basis for solving contextual problems.
Multiplication Is About Quantities With Referents
- Multiplication problems are about quantities with referents, not naked numbers alone.
- Teaching the intensive quantity (rate) and then iterating it better represents real‑world multiplicative tasks.