Long Division

QUICK: For the problem 4 into 432 have your child first write the multiples of 4 on the side of the page. Then when they are "dividing into" they have a list to choose from, and when they are "multiplying" the multiplication is already done.

This same process can be used for double digit division. It will take a little longer to do the problem but there is a much higher chance of getting it right. If dividing 43 into 86543 first write the multiples of 43 from 1-9 on the side of the page. Then use these multiples to do the problem.

LONG EXPLANATION: Long division can be confusing and difficult. Here are a few tips to help your child master long division.

We'll use the following problem in the examples below.
43 INTO 86543

There are several steps to remember when doing long division.
The main 4 steps are:
1 - divide
2 - multiply
3 - subtract
4 - bring down

You can use lots of different sayings to help your child remember these steps (dad, mom, sister, brother OR does my sister bite OR make up one of your own). But if they don't understand how to do these steps, remembering the order won't help much.

Have them do a problem and watch each step closely to discover which one they struggle with the most.

If they struggle with the first step - the division step - you can...
1. Change it into a "multiplication question" step.
Rather than
First - Have them create a multiplication table on the side before they begin the problem. They can then refer to this table for both the division step and the multiplication step.