Salam.

Look at this numbers - multiplication numbers.

2x2 = 4
2x4 = 8 which is 2x(2x2)=8 which is (2x2x2) = 8

2x8 = 16 which is 2x(2x2x2) = 16 which is (2x2x2x2) = 16
2x16 = 32 which is 2x(2x2x2x2) = 32 which is (2x2x2x2x2) = 32

and the list can go on.

Let us ask the pupils what did they see?

The answers may be:
a) 2 multiply by 2
b) multiples of 2
c) the bracket contains (the earlier products from the line directly above them)

In short , the teacher can be amaze to see that our pupils can see the structure of numbers.
So what next as a mathematics teacher?

We can bring them to the field of algebra.

Let us remove the ‘2’ with the alphabet ‘x’

We can see these x(x)
x(x)(x)
x(x)(x)(x)
(x)(x)(x)(x) and the list continues. The teacher will introduce something called ‘x to the power of 2’ etc etc etc.

In sum, we are leading our students to the pattern of numbers and sooner we come into the world of algebra, indices, .. and many more. The question I would like to pose is .. should we let our young kids (aged 8 to 12) restricted to number pattern or number structure or we lead them to learn about algebra at a younger age?

Well I keep that to you to answer. TQ.

Original link: https://nenez9595.blogspot.com/2010/11/studying-number-structures.html