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Short division and long division. Help please!!

20 replies

grey12 · 26/01/2025 07:29

Hi!
I need some help about short division and long division please 🙂
Can you let me know what year are they taught each one? Are children supposed to know them both by the end of year 6? Or do they learn one to understand the other and never touch the first one again?

Explanation: I am homeschooling my children. I learned my division in another country and we use a slightly different method..... I want to keep up with the UK curriculum but am a little confused on this.

Thank you so much for all the help 🙂🙂🙂

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Onemorespoon · 26/01/2025 07:33

Year 4 ( age 8) they would learn the formal written method of short division (bus stop method). Long division would be year 5/6.

Theforbiddenforest · 26/01/2025 07:43

DD2 is doing long division in year 3. Dividing 2 digit numbers by a 1 digit number.

DD1 is doing long division in year 6 dividing 4 digit numbers by 2 digit numbers.

I think DD1 did short division in year 5.

grey12 · 26/01/2025 07:52

Thank you for your messages ☺️☺️

So they start with short division and then learn long division, right?

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Onemorespoon · 26/01/2025 07:57

Yes - short division is generally used to divide multi-digit numbers by a one digit number and long division is used when dividing multi-digit numbers by two digit numbers so is more complicated and requires more written down calculations. Short division is taught first and then progresses onto long division.

icecreamscoops · 26/01/2025 08:03

Also start with sharing and grouping too rather than the term short division

Theforbiddenforest · 26/01/2025 08:52

My DDs have been taught long division first. Using it to divide by a 1 digit number…. Seemed a bit of an overcomplicated way as short division is obviously quite straightforward when it’s a 1 digit number.

Id just assumed this is the new way of teaching it, but maybe not if others are learning short division first 🤔

healthybychristmas · 26/01/2025 08:53

Are you sure you are able to teach maths?

TeenToTwenties · 26/01/2025 08:55

If you are going to homeschool through primary I don't think it matters.

By the time you get to secondary as long as they have a method they can use reliably it doesn't matter what method.

grey12 · 26/01/2025 09:07

@TeenToTwenties I really wish I could do that. However I am always aware something could happen to me and there would be no one to continue "my method" 🤷🏻‍♀️ I believe my kids need to be ready to integrate in school if necessary

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grey12 · 26/01/2025 09:09

@Onemorespoon thank you for your explanation ☺️☺️

Still think it's messy. I'm used to the method I was taught 😅😅 wish me luck!

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grey12 · 26/01/2025 09:13

@healthybychristmas my daughter's teacher (who was very good!!!!) wasn't able to teach her......... with a class of 30 how could they focus on one child who was struggling?.....
I'm not a teacher but I do have a postgrad in engineering so maths is not scary like it is for other people I met. I think I can help with primary school 🤷🏻‍♀️ afterwards not so confident....... either put her in traditional school or online school

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fruitpastille · 26/01/2025 09:17

I would recommend a subscription to White Rose maths. It has lessons and resources for every year group for every topic. Most primary schools use it to base their teaching on.

user2848502016 · 26/01/2025 09:45

My DD is in year 5 and has been doing both since year 4. They start with short division then move on to long division.

grey12 · 26/01/2025 09:47

@fruitpastille my daughter's school used a different one. But I'll check it!! Thank you!!

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Hohofortherobbers · 26/01/2025 10:05

Just doing long division now in yr6.

MattSaracenQB1 · 26/01/2025 11:09

Ii agree white rose maths is great, my daughters' school used it for lockdown

grey12 · 28/01/2025 09:53

Thought you'd find it entertaining 😅

So we started with division. Yay!!! And it didn't go to plan 😂

I tried really hard to do this short division...... really hard..... but the exercises to use short division became hard VERY quickly! And short division became difficult to implement! So we just went straight to long division 🤷🏻‍♀️

ok ok..... I'll try my best..... I will print a lot of them out and figure it out myself slowly slowly, trying not to spiral into madness. I promise. Wish me luck!

That said: is it really needed?....... or is it just a lazy way to not do long division when you're already good at division? 🤔 Because that's what it feels like to me

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Luddite26 · 28/01/2025 10:07

Teach the long if that's what you feel confident doing and short is easy to do then. If that works for you all then do it.
I had chicken pox when doing long division at school and really struggled to master it! Doing it your way means teaching it once rather than twice.😄

grey12 · 28/01/2025 12:08

Croquis of the difference between UK method and the method I learned 😅
Fun fun!

Short division and long division. Help please!!
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