Are you just beginning facts, division with remainders, or long division?
I saw something here on PT that really worked for my kids this year. You know how they want to always put the quotient in the wrong place? This solved it, and I didn't have one do it incorrectly this year!
When you teach how to do the problem, also teach them the steps of GUMS. g=Goes Into u=UP on top (this is the one that really helped!) m=Multiply S=Subtract Of course, I gave everyone a piece of gum on the day that I introduced this! It really helped, too!
We have only learned division with remainders, but will be doing long division when we return. I plan to change my acronym to DMSCB or Does McDonald's Serve Cheese Burgers when we do that. I'm sure you know about that o...
I think math should still be concrete even in the fourth grade. I am going to assume your fourth grader is not learning disabled, but instead just does not "catch on" as fast as the other students. I think you should make it personal for him. Use lots and lots of manipulatives-no I am not telling you to run to the teacher's store and buy a bunch of expensive stuff. Use what is handy. Have him divide pencils, utensils, paint cans for members of the family (immediate and extended for more numbers). This becomes practice when it is repeated as opposed to mindless numbers that he gets frustrated over because he can't remember how to manipulate them. Another thing you can do to make it personal is to find out-if you don't already know-what he wants to be when he grows up or what he is ...
One of my colleagues has, for the past 2 years, done this to introduce long division -
She starts by using only one divisor each day. For instance today we are dividing only by the number 2. Tomorrow it will be by 3. The next day only by 4 and so on. She lists all the facts for that particular divisor and has the students copy them so they have them right there in black and white. She says her students have made such progress in understanding division using this simple approach. I'm going to try it this year.
One thing that helps . . .
Posted by: Phyllis #131029
. . . . is a dot. When students begin working a problem, the first step is to decide where the first digit of the answer will go. In the problem 1349 divided by 62, ask yourself what 62 will go into. You can see that it will go into 134, so put a tiny dot on the line above the 4. This is where you put the first part of the answer. Now you can see that the answer will be a two digit number with possibly a remainder.
Then you go back see how many times 6 goes into 13 to get the estimate, but it goes where the dot is.
you're right 6 x 2 is 12 subtracted from 13 has a remainder of 1 lol i feel stupid and i took was in AP Calc in HS!...thats interesting i've never seen division done that way because its 62, is there a website with an explanation on how to do it that way?
An old-fashioned way to divide
Posted by: jeanmarie #131031
I've been teaching a very long time. We're using EM and some of the ways they attempt to teach kids end up confusing them PLUS they have too many methods to choose from and master none of them. All of mine learn to long divide like this: (if they can't master it THEN I try another method)
We set the problem up and first discuss that when we say 1349 divided by 62, the 62 goes OUTSIDE the bracket (yep - gotta start small) We proceed one digit at a time - I even cover them as we go)
We ask ourselves - will 62 go into 1 - no- so we put a small X above that place to show that we won't have a 4 digit answer. (My kids don't line things up well so sometimes we turn the notebook paper sideways so they have columns)
Then we move over and ask ourselves if 62 will go in...
JeanMarie's answer is excellent. Adding one little thing: using gridded paper is great for division. The grid printed in pale green works well. It helps keep the digits lined up as they should be.
Long Division Cheer/Chant
Posted by: luv2learn #119418
I actually taught the students a cheer/chant for long division. We all stand up and using our hands chant, "Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Bring it Down". We use our hands to make a divide symbol with our fists being on either side of our head making the dots... then our hands with an X shape....then hands togeher to show subtract (-)....finally we make a jazzy bring it down motion. We would chant this a few times before each math lesson and while we worked on any long division math problems. I would see the kids teaching the chant to other classes during recess and chanting it during down time.
Hope this all makes sense...my kids loved it and I would see them making the motions and mouthing the words to this chant during tests and worksheets.
I don't use a mnemonic but instead had them make flip books with the steps. I just took an average size piece of construction paper and folded it over hot dog style. Then, they cut one side of it 3 times. On the front flaps they wrote the steps. On the inside under the matching flap, they showed what they step looked like. When the kids worked on long division practice they pulled out their flip book.
Most of my kids were able to stop using the flip book after continuous practice.
Take the divisor and use it as the first factor in a multipli-
cation problem. The second factor is a box and the product is
the number you are trying to divide into.
SQUIGGLE!! I have the students draw a box around the top number box and product. Then estimate and answer and see if it works.
Put the answer in the quotient and continue on to the next step.
I have the students multiply instead of divide to take the fear away.
Hopefully this makes sense.
To reinforce the steps -- you can do a relay?
Posted by: Margaret916 #131035
We do this with our kids to make them focus on one step at a time, without skipping!
The kids sit in a row. Kids are in first, second, third position and so on. First kid does the "goes into" step, passes white board or paper back, second kid does the multiply, passes it back, and so on.
One thing to stress is SPEED DOESN"T COUNT. Each team that finishes with a neat, correct answer, gets a point. Usually (hopefully!) it works to a tie.
It's just a different way to do the problems....
One thing that helps is that I have the white boards with the graphing grid on the back, so the kids write a number in each box if they have writing in a line issues.
I introduce 2-3 fact families per week. I repeat the same process for introducing the different math facts so the students become very familiar with the process of multiplication and division.
I make kits for every 2 students in my class. The kit consists of 10 - 6 paper plates and 100 pennies stored in a quart plastic baggie. (Although, you can use anything that is small such as sunflower seeds, beans, etc.)
1. I give the students a problem.
2. The students take out the number of pennies to represent the dividend and take the number of plates to represent the divisor.
3. I then have them equally divide the pennies out on the plates.
4. Any pennies left over would then be the remainder (I do not begin with problems with remainders).
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I will not be able to help but since you brought the topic of division up does anyone know the purpose for dividing down the side of the dividend. IN the new text books back in the '60's there was this thing called Modern Math. To say the least the teachers were not inserviced in how and why to teach and it totally confused me. I could go home and my mom taught me to divide with what she called put the "answer on the roof" but at school you were required to do it on the right side of the problem. When I would ask why do it that way instead of the the other way . "Because I said so" Thing was I was good in Math until that messed me up. I am so glad that you are trying to figure out new ways to help explain division to kids. I was just wondering about the side thing
I tried it for the first time this year w/ my 3rd graders. I was very reluctant, but I ended up loving it. My only minor obstacle...parents. While I sent home sample problems explaining it, some still didn't understand it, so when I asked "Johnny" to complete division, he had to do it one way at school and one way at home. If students felt comfortable doing it the way mom or dad had said (and were doing it correctly) I let them. But I have to say, by the end of our division unit, all the students were doing it this way! I look forward to using it again next year!
A few years ago we had an in-service with Ms. Math. At first I thought it was hard, but when I tried it I found out I liked it a lot more! I know it is hard to understand without seeing it done, but here is what I send home to explain to parents:
This year my math class is learning an alternate way to do long division. This is different then the divide, multiply, subtract, bring down, repeat sequence that you and I most likely learned. I refer to that way as the traditional method. This alternative way, when understood, helps students master place value, and number sense, as well as what division actually is.
1- Ask how many groups of 4 can be pulled out of 573? (Students should try to start with the largest place value and multiples of 10, but the...
I don't know if this is helful, but we teach it in smaller steps.
1. Split up the place value
300 + 50 + 6
2. Start with the hundreds, How many 20s are in 100? If you don't know, skip count. Find the answer to 20s in 300. Save any leftovers and tack them onto the 10s.
300/20=15
2. Go to the 10s. Are there enough? Can you divide the tens into groups of 20? Save any leftovers and tack them onto the 10s
50/20 = 2 R.10
3. Go to the 1's. Are there enough? If there aren't enough, write your remainder or go to the decimal.
16/20 won't work.
So... 15+2+R.10 = 17 R. 10
On paper, it's a long horizontal rectangle with the original problem written on the left. The child rewrites a new problem for e...
Jeff,
I use "forgiving division" with my 4th and 5th graders that is very much like your double division method. The only difference I can see at first glance is the 1, 2, 4, 8 part of it. The rest looks just like what we do. I am very impressed with the doubling the divisor step before starting. I will try that with my students tomorrow! Thank you for sharing.
Elaine
This is something I got from a website forum several years ago. Since it involves making sure all the columns align correctly, it's on a Word document, rather than just copying and posting it here, I'm pasting just up to the division example. If this is something that interests you, you can download the document for the rest of the information.
double digit division Posted by Sandy on 2/19/04
This is a tip for where to start in the estimating:
Example: 966 ÷ 42 Have them look at the digit in the ones place of the divisor 42 If this number is 0-4 (in this case it is) they estimate by the digit in the tens place in the divisor, 4. So, they will say to themselves:
How many 4's are in 9. The answer is "2" (This is ...
The Maharaja's Tasks is a must! It is a kinisthetic way of teaching beginning division. If you google it, I am sure that you can find the program for purchase. Here is one of the initial activities:
1.) Rope off an area of your room and post a sign "Holding Pen"
2.) Give the kids one minute to think of an animal that lives in the jungle. 3.) Have them start moving silently around the room the way their animal would move.
4.) You call out, "Make groups of ___"
5.) The kids must for a group of that number, and immediately sit down.
6.)The kids who can't be in a group go into the holding pen as the "remainder"
7.) On chart paper, record the division problem as a number sentence and as ___ groups of ____ with a remainder of ____.
My other team member learned another way of doing division. It is called "Scaffolding". I do not know it but she sometimes uses it for those that have a hard time the regular way. Try goggling it. Hope you find it and it helps. If not let me know and I will have her explain it
I use Dad, Mom, Sis, Brother as well. I have a small card that I make for each child. It's divided into 4 squares with the "people" on it. They use a chip, eraser, anything to show which step they are on. I find that a lot of times with beginners, they forget what they just did. As they do the step, they move their marker to the next square.
I give my kids egg cartons and small plastic cubes. Before I introduce division I give my students multiplication problems with one of the factors missing. They are strong with their basic multiplication facts and they almost always know the answer. I ask them how they got the answer and they tell me they knew the multiplication fact. Then I explain that actually what they did was division. My students really respond well to this method of learning multiplication. I give them a number of plastic cubes, then tell them to put the group of cubes into a number of smaller groups and I write the equation on the board. When they have the right answer, I write it on the board.
