Verbal Multiplication and Division Problems: Some Difficulties and Some Solutions

Verbal problems that involve multiplication and division are difficult for children to solve. Many of these difficulties arise because of their limited under tanding of these arithmetic operations. Their experience with the different kinds of situation that call for these operations is also limited. At the same time, these problem cannot be categorized easily because the situation that require these operations are varied. Nonetheless. multiplication is often taught only as “repeated addition” and division only as “repeated subtraction.” Children must have specific instruction in all the situation that require multiplication and division as arithmetic operations if they are to apply them successfully to verbal problems.