Strategy: It's Just That Number!

The identity property of 1 says that any number times 1 equals itself. Multiplying a number by one results in the same value. It is just itself!

Example:

3 x 1 = 3

3 x 1 is just like 1 group of 3. 

Here is 1 group of 3 apples. 

Photo from clipart-library.com

The order we multiply numbers does not matter. We can multiply them in any order and we still get the same result:

3 x 1 = 3
1 x 3 = 3

If we have 1 apple and we multiply them by 3, it will look like this:

 
Photo from clipart-library.com

We still get the same answer. 1 x 3 = 3.

Multiplying by 1 is so easy. When a number is multiplied by one, the answer is just that number!

After explaining this to my kids, I let them practice multiplication by 1 using our DIY Montessori bead bars and the multiplication facts slips from montessorialbum.com.


I then asked them to answer multiplication by zero and by one in this free mini booklet from 123homeschool4me.

Photo from 123homeschool4me.com