Division
Ages 7–11Difficulty adapts to you
Division
Division can mean sharing an amount equally among a given number of groups or finding how many equal groups of a given size can be made. The result is called the quotient.
Your goals
- ✓You can split into equal groups.
- ✓You can use dividend, divisor, quotient correctly.
- ✓You can multiply the quotient by the divisor and include any remainder.
Words to know
- dividend:
- The amount being divided.
- divisor:
- The number you divide by.
- quotient:
- The result of division.
Examples
- 112 ÷ 3 = 4 can mean sharing 12 among 3 groups, giving 4 in each group.
- 212 ÷ 3 = 4 can also mean making groups of 3 from 12, giving 4 groups.
More than one way to solve it
Try each method, then choose the one you can explain and check most clearly.
Method 1
Sharing into equal groups
- 1.Choose the number of groups.
- 2.Share equally.
- 3.Count each group and note leftovers.
Example: 26 ÷ 4 gives 6 in each group with 2 left over.
Method 2
Chunking
- 1.Subtract a useful multiple of the divisor.
- 2.Repeat with the remainder.
- 3.Add the chunks.
Example: 156 ÷ 12: subtract 120 (10 groups), then 36 (3 groups), so 13.
Method 3
Inverse multiplication
- 1.Ask what multiplied by the divisor gives the dividend.
- 2.Use known facts.
- 3.Multiply back to check.
Example: 84 ÷ 7 asks 7 × ? = 84, so the answer is 12.
Check these
- • Do not divide by zero; division by zero is not defined.
- • Keep every number, symbol, label, and unit in its correct place.
- • Choose the method that makes each step easiest to explain and check.
Helpful habits
- • Read the whole question before choosing what to do.
- • Show one clear step at a time and check each step.
- • If you are stuck, draw a model, try smaller numbers, or revisit the example.
Now try your own
Create your own division example, solve it, and explain how you checked it.
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Helpful Hints“Look for patterns — maths is full of them!”