A fine math howdy-do

My sister-in-law is finishing up her first year homeschooling.  She has not survived, but reports it being "pretty cool." 

She asked me a question about math for which I could actually help!

It's often a challenge to know if you should multiply or divide when changing from one measurement to another.  For instance, "Abigail walked 2 miles. How many feet did she walk?"

Here's a little phrase I picked up in my classroom days:

Bigger to smaller; Multiply

Smaller to bigger; Divide

And now with the help of an adorable model, I'll demonstrate the hand movements.  (I watched my students use them all the time!)

          Bigger                                                                  to smaller

Multiply

            Smaller                                                                        to Bigger

Divide

Hope that helps your student as much as it did mine!