Mathematics is one of the basic subjects taught in all grades of primary school. Pupils learn about numbers, various facts, procedures and arithmetic calculations at the very beginning of education. One of the most important arithmetic contents that pupils learn in the third grade is the multiplication table.
In this master's thesis, we will delve into the knowledge of the multiplication table of third and fourth-graders. We will be looking at the extent to which pupils master the multiplication table and whether they automate it. In the theoretical part, we will present the importance of repetition for the preservation of acquired skills and knowledge. We will delve into the knowledge of the multiplication table and its automation. We will present a few methods that can help with multiplication. Since automation of the multiplication table requires a lot of repetition, we will present some methods which can help to consolidate the knowledge of the multiplication table. One of the learning methods which helps in the consolidation of various learning contents, including the multiplication table, is the didactic game, which will be presented in more detail.
In the empirical part of the master's thesis, we will explore the knowledge of the multiplication table in different time periods. We will also be looking at how regular consolidation with various tasks and educational games can help with the automation of the multiplication table. The pupils are introduced to the multiplication table in the third grade and according to the objectives in the curriculum, are required to adopt it to the point of automation. We will check to what extent the pupils actually adopt the multiplication table at the end of the third grade. We will then look at how good their knowledge of the multiplication table is at the beginning of the fourth grade, after a planned two-month break from consolidation (holiday time). We will also prepare the material and didactic games for the pupils, which will be used for the consolidation of their knowledge of the multiplication table, and then take a look at the extent of their progression or whether they reached the point of automation.
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