Y3 division using arrays - should I force DS to do them?

[Devexity]

Any reason I should make him do it aside from 'for teh lolz' (as a Y9 said straight-facedly to me the other day)?

His homework is a lengthy sheet that demands array after array for divisions up to 6x6 (IYSWIM). The kid knows all his multiplication and division facts, and filled in all the answers in under 5 seconds. Must I now make him spend an hour or so drawing groups of dots? If I don't, will he have missed out on some critical stage of maths? And will his teacher beat me with sticks?

My dad, retired Y6 teacher, says I should write something stententious about 'retrograde steps' and differentiated homework. I am feeling eye-roll-ey about this option. And the arrays one too. Advice?

No advice, sorry, but watching with interest.

Y3 is aged 6 or 7? Well done on knowing those tables, btw.

I'm not a teacher, but if arrays are what I think they might be, he may as well learn how to do them as they may help later (much later!) in algebraic long division. A few months ago I watched a video on Kahn Academy as I needed to do algebraic long division and gazed in gobsmacked admiration, thinking "Why did we only do tables at school? Why didn't they teach us how to do that?"

On the other hand, arrays may be something completely different in which case feel free to ignore me ....

I don't understand the question and my child is 7 - should I be worried??!!

The kid is 7.

Arrays, as he's doing them this week, are the conceptual introduction to division. They take a whole number and visually organise it into groups with some sort of symbolic notation. In this case, groups of dots. Presumably to firm up the intellectual foundations of what division is.

But if he knows this - and he does, because he can answer "what's a half divided by a quarter" etc - then what's the point?

OK, arrays are not what I thought they were!

We do it with paint and a paint brush, amongst other ways. Much faster than drawing. How many does he have to do?
Yes it links to division and inverse relationships.

isn't the purpose to be able to visualise the process of the working out rather than just to find the answer? That's what will help him to make the links between the different areas of maths when the work becomes more challenging. I'd have done the arrays.

Just because you can do tables doesn't actually mean that you understand what it is you are actually doing. As another poster said, its to help with visualisation. If he can do both easily..great. He will only choose the method he finds easiest in future. Its another strategy,is all. OFSTED like to know that kids have several strategies for solving problems at their disposal. Tedious homework for adults ,I know,but it may come in useful one day...

Checking in with this one. DD did them in year 2 and complained that she knows what multiplication and it's inverse is so why does she have to do arrays?

I suppose the visual aspect WOULD help certain children - my eldest being one of them - who DO find abstract concepts tricky, but I would agree with the OP that if you have a child who really does get x/division then where is the need?

DH mumbles on about AFL? or something, basically understanding where a child is with something and going from that point. I can't see DD2 needing to look at another array.

I'd get him to do say the first and the last questions as arrays, to show the teacher he understands his/her method too and that he can do arrays! Then I'd leave all the others. You could write a note to teacher explaining if your DS is worried about getting into trouble by not doing arrays for them all.

Yes the homework should also be differentiated, although sometimes, right at the beginning of a topic, the teacher may not have yet realised how much particular children know/can do