How To Teach Math - Associative, Commutative and Distributive Properties

A1.1.3 Understand and Use Distributive, Associative, and Commutative Properties

Resources

- Distributive Property - A worksheet designed to introduce the distributive property and then to practice it.

- Commutative and Associative Property's - A work sheet introducing the commutative and associative property's of both multiplication and addition

Topic Discussion

This topic, more than most, begs students to ask the question, "when am I ever going to use this?" The answer to that question is layered and important. From a practical standpoint they are used all the time, especially the distributive property, but from a theoretical point of view, knowing the name of the associative and commutative property is irrelevant until upper level collegiate math classes. However, it is still very important for students to understand the associative and commutative properties of real numbers.