How To Do Simple Division Practice with Division Games

An Overview of Elementary Division

In third grade, your child will begin learning how to divide. At this grade level, it will be important for children to use division within 100 to solve 1-step and 2-step word problems. Your child will also need to be able to determine and interpret whole number quotients in division problems like 25 ÷ 5. Your child may also encounter division problems in which there's a missing number in the number sentence. While this may sometimes be as simple as dividing two numbers to find the quotient, other times the dividend or divisor may be the missing number (e.g., 30 ÷ ? = 10).

Division Memory

Before beginning this game, write all division-related terminology on index cards. You will want to include terms like divisor, dividend, quotient and remainder. On separate index cards, write a sample division problem and circle the numbers that correspond with the vocabulary terms. For example, on one card you may write the term quotient. Its matching card may show 45 ÷ 9 = 5, with the five circled.

Turn the index cards face down on the table. Players will take turns flipping over two cards in hopes of finding matching cards. If a match is made, the player gets to keep the cards. If the cards don't match, they will be returned to the playing board. The player with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner!

In the Kitchen

Have your child join you in the kitchen for some hands-on division practice. Present your child with a collection of food items and a scenario. Have your child model how to divide using the items. For example, we have 16 cookies. If four people are coming for dinner, how many cookies will each person get?

Allow your child to physically divide the cookies into four groups to show that each person would receive four cookies. It is also a good idea to have your child write the problem being modeled (e.g., 16 ÷ 4 = 4). This will ensure that he or she can correctly identify the divisor and dividend. Continue changing the scenario and the number of items to work with until your child has had ample practice.