Year 4

We can divide a two-digit number or a three-digit number by a one-digit number.
We know how to interpret a remainder.

Year 4 Unit 12a

What we are learning:

• It is most common to read 54 ÷ 6 as 54 divided by 6, it may support your child’s understanding to read the same question as How many groups of 6 are there within 54?
• The correct maths vocabulary to be used with division is dividend ÷ divisor = quotient (pronounced “Kwo-shant”) using this language will make it easier to explain and talk about division.
• In order to be able to solve division questions quickly children need speedy recall of times-tables facts. We use times-tables facts to work out the answers to division questions, i.e. How many groups of 6 are there in 54?
  The answer is that 9 x 6 is 54, so there are 9 groups of 6 in 54
• A simple way to divide a two-digit number by a one-digit number is to partition the dividend into two or more numbers (multiples) that can be divided easily, i.e. To calculate 52 ÷ 4, partition the 50 into 40 + 12 as both of these can be divided by 4Simply divide each part of the 50 in turn now by 4
  40 ÷ 4 = 10
  12 ÷ 4 = 3
  The quotient is 13 (since 10+3 is 13)
• Using the same method to calculate 53 ÷ 4, when we partition the 50 we cannot do this entirely from multiples of the divisor, 50 = 40 +12 +1, so we KNOW there will be a remainderSimply divide each part of the 50 in turn now by 4
  40 ÷ 4 = 10
  12 ÷ 4 = 3
  The 1 will become the remainder
  The quotient is 13r1

ACTIVITY 1: DIVISION WITH A REMAINDER

Activities you can do at home:

Work through the following practice division questions together. Partition the dividend into multiples of the divisor. Look out for the remainder!
52 ÷3, 74 ÷ 6, 63 ÷ 4, 81 ÷ 5, 59 ÷ 4

You can partition these numbers like this:
52 ÷ 3 is the same as 30 ÷ 3 and 22 ÷3 then add the quotients
74 ÷ 6 is the same as 60 ÷ 6 and 14 ÷ 6 then add the quotients
81 ÷ 5 is the same as 50 ÷ 5 and 31 ÷ 5 then add the quotients
59 ÷ 4 is the same as 40 ÷ 4 and 19 ÷ 4 then add the quotients

When we extend this to dividing a three-digit number by a one-digit number
we will have to partition the three digit number carefully.
345 ÷ 3 is the same as 300 ÷ 3, 30 ÷ 3 and 15 ÷ 3 then add the quotients
465 ÷ 5 is the same as 400 ÷ 5, 60 ÷ 5 and 5 ÷5 then add the quotients

Good questions to ask and discuss:

Can you explain what the following are: divisor, dividend, quotient, and remainder?

If your child:

Does not know their tables or cannot work them out
They are not ready for division, or will need to use objects to visualise the calculation, e.g. for 24 ÷ 6 you will need to take 24 objects and sort them into 6 groups. The questions to ask then are, Are the groups equal in size?
Are there any objects left over that cannot be put into a group because they will make it different from the others? This is the remainder.