A parents' guide to how division is taught in Guernsey Classrooms
This is the final Tutoring Heroes Guernsey guide to written calculation methods, and we've saved perhaps the trickiest until last: division. Whilst many children understand the concept of sharing, dividing using bigger numbers requires children to have good times table knowledge as well as be able to both add and subtract accurately. Our specialist maths tutors in Guernsey have lots of experience supporting children who find written methods of division challenging.
Prior learning
Sharing is a key mathematical and social concept which children encounter from a young age. As they head into Year 2, children will begin to share objects and drawings with remainders. Arrays can also demonstrate sharing in a more organised way, helping to augment the links between multiplication and division.
Other ways of representing division problems
Guernsey primary school children will encounter bar models and part/part whole models, which give a visual representation to 4 operation problems without solving them directly.
Numberlines
Once your child is ready to represent their work on a numberline, they will already have experience of using one for addition, subtraction and multiplication. This method can also solve long division problems involving 2 and 3 digit numbers, and develops foundational understanding for the 'chunking' method.
Chunking
The chunking method, also known as repeated subtraction, involves breaking the dividend into smaller, more manageable chunks, then repeatedly subtracting the divisor from each chunk. Children in Year 5 and 6 in Guernsey primary schools often need additional support from their maths tutor to feel confident with this method.
The final chunk!
Once your child can use these methods effectively, they will be ready to start using the standard written method for division and then long division, with a solid understanding of division's interplay with other operations including fractions, valuable as they move on to Key Stage 3 and GCSE.
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