Dd11 is suddently confused w/ division problems...(help)

[Sue G in PA]

All of a sudden, my dd11 is getting confused about which number is the dividend and which is the divisor. I've explained over and over again (in very simplified terms!) that the number being divided (broken into pieces, parts, whatever!) goes "under the house" and the other goes outside. She just doesn't get it! I can say, "dd11 what is 8 divided by 2" and she'll say 4 and I'll ask her to show me how you write it on paper. She can. BUT, give her a problem like .56 divided by 7 and she gets all flustered and can't figure out which number is which. Is anyone following me? SHe's getting tripped up with the actual numbers (decimals) and forgetting basic rules of division. Any suggestions besides what I'm already doing? TIA

[susie in tx]

Math mammoth has an inexpensive workbook that is about division. It covers some about place value and division. You might want to check it out.

 

http://www.mathmammoth.com

[FloridaLisa]

Well, I wouldn't use terms like "under the house." :) That just wouldn't mean anything to me mathematically and it's making her work through an extra step of trying to figure out whether the dividend or divisor goes under the house.

 

I would start writing out division problems with her and using the math language as you write the problem. Try to give her a story problem if there isn't one. So, using your example, I might say:

 

Me: Let's say I have 56 cents and want to put it into 7 piles. So I'm going to take my 56 cents and divide it into 7 equal groups. Let's write that mathematically.

 

Me (again): Okay. .56 [writing .56] divided by [drawing "the house"] 7 [placing numeral 7 as the divisor]

 

You know, division can be tricky if it's done completely in the abstract. Talk about real problems, give her the math lingo she's going to need to know, write the division problems out in the three different ways, show her using 56 cents how it really can be divided into 7 groups (well almost) and let her mind work from concrete to the abstract.

 

I'm sure she's fine! It even helps me to draw out concrete examples for my youngers! :)

 

Lisa

[FloridaLisa]

I thought of one more thing. :)

 

You could also make a small chart to tape to her desk with an example so that she could plug in the numbers she's working with. I wish I could draw it but it would look something like:

 

 

8 divided by 2 is

 

 

and then mathematically write it the three different ways.

 

HTH,

Lisa

[Pretty in Pink]

agreeing w/ lisa, that is what we do. i make a chart and hang it on the fridge (b/c it is visible to ds when he does lessons, since we do school at the dining table).

 

honestly, i just last year learned the words divisor/divident, i couldn't remember which was which either, so this helped me as well!

[Kimber]

I would ask her to work the problem with out the decimal present. If she can, then the decimal is confusing her.

 

Decimals can be confusing because when you really understand decimals, you realize that a number like 0.56 is smaller than a whole number. And all division problems to this point have been larger numbers, like 8, divided by smaller numbers, like 2.

 

I would make sure she understand that you can divide a decimal by a whole number.

 

Btw, pardon my rambling if this is not her problem. But I thought I'd post just in case it is the source of her confusion.

 

Good Luck to both of you!:)

[Sue G in PA]

do regular division problems w/ out problems. It's only the decimal problems she is getting confused with. I'm just frustrated and really almost yelled at her today when she asked me for the 100th time which number is which! She doesn't get divisor/dividend and so uses those general terms like "under the house" to figure it out. Funny, for a girl who is usually so good at math...

[Kimber]

That makes sense, I'm pretty decent at math and I have always had to check which number am I dividing by. This may be heresy, but I don't think the terms are as important as knowing the definition of the terms. I still get them mixed up. But I can look at a problem and know exactly what to do.

 

I would explain to her that she can divide a larger number into a smaller number. I would also just let her watch you do several problems on the board, while she watches.

 

Another option is http://www.riverdeep.net. The program is destination math on the bottom right. There is a free month available to anyone who signs up for it. (At least there was last summer, so I think it's still there.) It's an excellent computer based math program that teaches the concepts. Decimals will be in level 3. My children use this to learn new concepts. I'm not necessarily the most patient teacher in the world.