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You can teach (some intuition for) multiplication without numbers by multiplying lengths to get areas. Then show e.g. how the number of seats in a theater is the number of seats in a row * the number of rows.

Let the school teacher press the algorithms on him, teach him your hacker's sense of wonder.



> Then show e.g. how the number of seats in a theater is the number of seats in a row * the number of rows.

How do you do that without adding up the number of seats in the rows or columns (ie repeated addition)?


Using a calculator.

Not a troll: the ability to compute products and the idea that (horizontal length) times (vertical length) = (area) are different things.


So teaching multiplication ends up as "whatever the calculator does when I press this button"?




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