Primary National Strategy

1. PrimaryNational Strategy Mathematics3 plus 2 day course:Session 3

2. Objectives • To review progression in division in Years 4, 5 and 6 • To analyse test questions on division as an aid to assessment • To consider the errors that pupils may make with division and the implications for teaching

3. Discussion point 1 What are the things that pupils need to know and be able to do before they move on to division calculations that extend beyond ‘tables facts’?

4. TASK: Pupils’ errors with division • Look at each error and consider its nature. Is it caused by: • a careless slip (e.g. a division fact recalled incorrectly)? • basic misunderstanding of place value? • incorrect or inappropriate application of a method? • another reason? • Annotate each example with your analysis.

5. TASK: Pupils’ errors with division • Take one of the errors. What could you do about it as a teacher: • to avoid the error happening in the first place? • to model and explain the correct approach? • If you have time, repeat with another error.

6. Summary • Analyse each error and think about its possible cause – don’t simply re-teach the method • Draw careless slips to a pupil’s attention and encourage the pupil to learn arithmetical facts ‘by heart’ • Tackle misunderstanding of place value by the use of place value boards, multibase blocks and calculators to emphasise that when multiplying and dividing a number by a power of 10 the digits move to the left or right (see the Framework, section 6, pages 6 and 7)

7. Summary • Misapplication of a written method of division may be caused by: • lack of understanding of partitioning and the principle of the distributive law of division – more work on informal recording of mental methods of division is needed • being moved on too quickly, without a thorough grasp of all the necessary prerequisite skills • If remainders are misinterpreted, model the process on a number line