Multiplication and the Reference Sum Method

Difficulty in doing multiplication problems is common among pupils in primary schools. The main source of the problem is the difficulty to recall all the basic facts of multiplication. A method called the “Reference Sum Method” provides an alternative method to the conventional method of doing multiplication of whole numbers. This paper analyses the effectiveness of the use of the “Reference Sum Method” in helping pupils with difficulties in recalling all the basic multiplication facts, to improve their performance in doing multiplication problems. The study involved ten Year 4 Malaysian Primary school pupils in an urban primary school. The multiplication problems in the research were multiplication of two digit numbers by two digit numbers.