MTTC 103 Elementary Practice 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Mastering the skill of multiplying whole numbers is essential before students can effectively learn about the distributive property. The distributive property involves distributing a multiplication operation over addition or subtraction, which is fundamentally based on the concept of multiplication itself. Students must be comfortable with multiplication of whole numbers to understand how the property works in practical applications.

For instance, when using the distributive property, a student might need to simplify an expression like 3 × (4 + 5). To correctly apply the distributive property, they will multiply 3 by both 4 and 5, which requires a firm understanding of how multiplication works with whole numbers. Without the ability to multiply whole numbers, students may struggle to see how the distributive property helps in simplifying expressions or solving equations.

The other skills mentioned, such as dividing integers, multiplying decimals, or dividing fractions, are important mathematical skills but are not foundational for grasping the concept of the distributive property. Mastery of whole number multiplication creates the groundwork that allows students to build on their understanding of more complex operations and properties in mathematics.