Maths News

                      How to Teach Division at Home

1. Start With the Big Idea

Division means sharing equally or grouping. Children understand division best when they  see it, touch it, and do it.

2.  Use Real Objects (Concrete Learning)

Equal Sharing

• “We have 12 grapes. Let’s share them between 3 people. How many does each person get?”

• Physically give one grape to each person until they’re all gone.

Equal Grouping

• “We have 12 blocks. Let’s make groups of 3. How many groups can we make?”
• Make groups and count them. 
• These two models build the foundation for written division.

3. Move to Drawings (Representational Learning)

Once they understand sharing/grouping with objects, try drawings:

Sharing Model

Draw 3 circles (people).Draw 12 dots and distribute them evenly.

Grouping Model

Draw groups of 3 dots and count how many groups are made.

4. Use Division Stories

Children learn best through simple stories:

• “There are 20 stickers. 5 children want to share them fairly. How many stickers does each child get?”
• “A baker has 24 cupcakes. He packs them in boxes of 6. How many boxes will he fill?”

Have your child act out or draw the story.

5. Link to Multiplication

Help them see the connection:

• Division is the opposite of multiplication.
• If they know 4 × 5 = 20, then 20 ÷ 4 = 5 and 20 ÷ 5 = 4.

You can make fact families with triangles or small flashcards.

6. Use Arrays

Arrays help students visualise division:

• Build a 12-block array: 3 rows of 4 or 4 rows of 3.
• Then ask:
  • “If we split this into 3 equal rows, how many in each row?”
  • “If each row has 4, how many rows are there?”

7. Introduce Written Division Gently

Start with simple equations:

• Sharing model: 15 ÷ 3 Draw 3 circles and share 15 dots.
• Grouping model: 18 ÷ 6 Draw groups of 6 dots, count the groups.

Avoid the long division algorithm until they show confidence with concepts.

8. Use Games and Everyday Practice

Try these:

• Card game: Flip cards to build numbers and ask your child to divide them by 2, 3, or

5.

• Cooking:“We need to divide the dough into 4 even pieces.”
• Lego:“Make towers of 5. How many towers can you build from 30 pieces?”

9. Celebrate Mistakes

If they make errors, respond with:“Let’s check: Did we share fairly?”or“Let’s try grouping it with blocks to see what happened.”

This keeps learning stress-free.

10. Keep It Short and Consistent

5–10 minutes a day is enough. Repetition builds confidence. Talking about their thinking and listening to others, improves their metacognitive skills and processes.