What strategy serves as a precursor to multiplication in mathematics?

Skip counting serves as a precursor to multiplication because it involves counting forward by a number other than one. This method allows students to visualize and understand the concept of repeated addition, which is fundamental to multiplication. For example, when skip counting by 2s, 3s, or 5s, students can observe the patterns that emerge, helping them grasp how multiplication is essentially a more efficient way of adding a number to itself multiple times.

Counting can also be seen as a foundational skill, but it typically involves each increment of one and does not foster an understanding of the relationship between addition and multiplication as skip counting does. Factorization and division are more advanced concepts that arise after a student has a firm grasp of multiplication, making them less relevant as precursors to understanding multiplication.