Sound Groups for Teaching Multiplication Video

Explore Equal Groups in Multiplication with Sound

Are you tired of using the same old worksheets and activities when it comes to teaching early multiplication concepts to your students? If so, do we have the activity for you!

In this 7-minute video featuring Teach Starter’s fabulous musical maestro Janeen, your students will learn about multiplication as collections of equal groups through the magic of music. Janeen uses percussion instruments such as rhythm sticks, a drum, a guiro, a tambourine and a woodblock to play various sounds grouped together. 

This video comes with an accompanying student worksheet. The worksheet contains different examples of graphic notation (symbols that represent sounds). Throughout the video, Janeen plays six different sound patterns using her instruments. Students must listen carefully and select the correct graphic notation for the pattern played (there are two to choose from). Once they have cut and pasted the correct pattern onto their worksheet, they must then identify the number of groups and the number of sounds in each group, e.g. 4 groups of 3 sounds. Whether your students realise it or not, they are actually learning how to multiply by completing this activity! 

Other Uses for This Listening Activity

While this video has been designed to teach your students about equal groups in multiplication in a fun and interesting way, it has other great uses, too! Here are some other ways you might like to use this video content in your classroom:

1. Listening Comprehension Activity – Pause the video after each sound group is performed by Janeen. See if the students can replicate the sound pattern they heard using their bodies as percussion instruments or simple classroom objects like pencils and desks.
2. Create Your Own Sound Patterns – After watching the video, encourage students to create their own sound patterns using classroom percussion instruments or homemade instruments. They can work individually or in groups to compose and perform their patterns for the class.
3. Sound Groups for Multiplication – As an extension to the above, have the students record their sound patterns using graphic notation. Students should also be encouraged to identify the sound pattern as multiples of equal groups, e.g. 5 groups of 3 sounds.

More Early Multiplication Resources for Your Classroom

This resource can be watched repeatedly with your Teach Starter subscription, so you can share it with multiple classes.

If you’re looking for more early years resources to use when teaching early multiplication concepts to your students, look no further than the great suggestions below!

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Introduction to Multiplication Strategies Teaching Slides

Introduce your students to different multiplication strategies such as arrays, equal groups, repeated addition and skip counting with this 34-page slide deck.

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Donut You Love Arrays? Interactive Task Cards

Help your students relate multiplication facts and arrays with this set of 24 interactive task cards.

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Equal Groups Multiplication Worksheets

Reinforce how to relate equal group models and multiplication with this printable worksheet pack.