Maths help -how to explain division/ how is it taught these days?

[shebird]

DS is having problems with understanding division of bigger numbers. Just wondered how it is taught these days. For example 300 divided by 18? Don't want to teach my way if it's wrong and he can't explain to me how the teacher does it.

If it was me I'd use the bus stop method and do it several times so that at least he can explain to the teacher how he did it with mum. I've heard it said that teachers don't mind how their pupils do it as long as it's consistent and correct. (It's also useful to have several effective ways of reaching the right answer.)

I showed my dc chunking and bus stop method, and bus stop won the day.
I think being confident with tables helps?

Does anyone know of some useful bus stop method games online that my DD can use?

Yes I was opting for the bus stop method. Also the teacher said they do not learn times tables by heart anymore and I think this must make things really difficult as the problems get more difficult. Am a little confused to say the least!

They will be taught the bus stop method (short division) and chunking (long division) and can choose which to use, or to use either one depending on the question, so just go over both methods with him so he is confident in both.

shebird that iwll be your teacher's choice. At my school the children are encouraged to learn their tabls by heart.

You can still teach him the tables at home. That's what I would do.

I had started to learn them before the start of this school year assuming they would be learning them this year. I think we will start again as DS is finding it difficult without knowing things by heart.

Can someone explain chunking please?

How old is your DS?

We teach repeated subtraction on a number line, then chunking, then (and only then) the bus stop method. In year 3 (my year), we do repeated subtraction and, with my top ability, chunking.

Chunking is done by looking for known number facts. For example, 300 / 18. I know 18 x 10 is 180, so I'd take that from 300. I now have 120. 18 x 5 is 90. Take that away and I have 30. 18 goes into 30 once, with 12 remaining.

If I count up my 'lots' of 18, I have 10 + 5 + 1 so 300 / 18 is 16r12.

Please do ask the teacher. Some children learn one method far too early for them, and it can cause them great confusion.

Try this book for explaining primary maths, it's really handy for understanding modern teaching methods. Have it to dip in and out of - I've got three kids and felt really removed from all the fancy new terminology, until this...

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0224086359/?tag=11plus09-21

This site is absolutely bloody brilliant. The man's a hero, imo. It's all free too.

The videos are really clear and well taught, and your DC can then monitor their progress by doing sums on the site. My DD (9) didn't grasp long multiplication or long division at all at school, but she's come on in leaps and bounds since we've been using this site.

This is a big bug bear of mine. I understand the reasons why things like repeated subtraction and chunking are used but I cannot for the life of me understand why once these are understood that kids are not shown traditional long division sooner likewise once place value is understood column addition, subtraction and long multiplication. I have a dd in year 3 and I have taught her the traditional method of addition, subtraction and long division. Havent got as far as long multiplication yet. I was confident that she understood place value sufficiently in year 2 so showed her traditional column addition and subtraction I was careful that she understood borrowing and carrying and got her to explain what it was she was borrowing or carrying and why. She is very confident with this and her year 3 teacher allows her to use this method if she wants to as she has consistantly proved she understands what she is doing and why. Same with long division from what I can gather this wouldnt be taught until year 5 yet again dd is confident with times tables so I showed her to see if she understood it and she does. I know my dd is one of the more able in her class and not everyone would be ready for these methods but surely for those that are they can be introduced sooner.

Sarah