Struggling with division--please help!

[amyco]

My ds, 9, is struggling with division. We are using MUS Delta. My dd used Saxon up thru part of 5/4 and gets division fine. I am not sure if he struggles because of the explanations in MUS, or what. I have ordered the Saxon 3 tm to try and give him a different explanation. Part of me regrets having switched to MUS. Who knows, he might have struggled with Saxon too.

 

Anyway, does anyone have any words of advice? Usually he will struggle at first and then "get" it and be fine thereafter. But division is really getting him. He struggles with "where to put the number" in the quotient and the multiplying part, bringing down the numbers... His number facts are pretty solid.

 

As my dh says, "Hive mind powers, activate!"

 

Thank you!

[Alana in Canada]

Yep. It's the long division blues! My son had them forever (about two months) and my daughter suffered for several weeks.

 

It is hard to remember where to put everything!

 

One of the best things I did was re-teach division as subtraction. In fact I remember one woman on the board here who said she didn't even let her kids see the division algorythm until ythey were practically begging for a short cut.

 

So, start out with something simple like 6 divided by 2. or 12 divided by 3--something he won't necessarily recognize right away.

 

Write everything vertically (turning lined paper sideways helps as does graph paper).

 

The trick that did it for my daughter, though was teachng her "remainders" on the hundreds board. You go through all the numbers. If something isn't completely divisible by 2, what would be the remainder? 1. By three? 2 or 1. By four? 3,2, or 1. This really helps kids identify the number they need to use, for example 58 divided by nine. She can mentally subtract all the numbers up to eight to "see" if she gets a number which follows the patterns for "9x" numbers. (actually it's easier than that but more difficult to explain).

 

Anyway, I hope something in those ramblings will help you.

 

Doing brain gym cross-over excercises before we started helped my son, too.

[Myra]

Also - use graphing paper to do the work on.....it helps to have to write a number in each graph square as it forces you to line things up correctly - this simple idea helps eliminate a lot of "messy" errors and forces your child to keep things lined up! I found that if you did every problem with your child talking through it outloud all the way for the first week or so of learning long division that it really helps eliminate frustration and cements the "right" way to do it! I also let my child use a multiplication chart at first as it seems they forget how to multiply when they are concentrating so hard on the process of division. That in itself is a treat and helps set a good mood for division. Every little bit helps!

 

Good luck,

Myra

[Oakblossoms]

Are you sure he really has those multiplication facts down?

[Marie in Oh]

had a really hard time with long division. I asked a ps teacher friend of mine what she did. SHe gave me the acronym: Does McDonalds Sell Cheeseburgers? Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Check. She actually gives each of her kids a McDonald's CHeeseburger Wrapper with the acronym spelled out for them. I gave it to dd and her division woes were over.

[HollyDay]

Take some time off from it. I really think division is a product of maturity. There is a lot going one in each problem. All the math facts are being used and numbers are seemingly going all over the place. So, I would suggest, taking a break. Either move on to something else - maybe basic fractions, metric, measurement, etc. and review the tables. Do some logic brain building things like MindBenders or Rush Hour. Then go back and try it again. Dc might just need a little extra growing time.

[amyco]

All great suggestions! Thank you! I am *fairly* sure he knows his facts, but I like the idea of using the multiplication chart for a while. And the graphing paper to keep things neat.

 

Does McDonald's Sell Cheeseburgers? I love it! At least he has been checking so he knows when he is getting it wrong.

 

Alana--I am going to have to think about the subtraction method of teaching division. That could work.

 

Holly--ultimately I think you are right. We are so late in the school year now and he's done a lot. I think we both need a break! We are both getting frustrated. He's really trying, so it's not a function of spring fever. A little time off would be good. I don't know what my big hurry is for him to learn this...

 

 

Thanks everyone.

[yslek]

B is at that point in MUS Delta as well. He hit a wall in Gamma last year. I thought maybe it was a curriculum problem, and bought TT5 as well as some Math Mammoth stuff. He liked TT until he got stuck at the same point he was stuck in Gamma (multiple digit multiplication) and hated the Math Mammoth. Math didn't get done as often as I wanted. :tongue_smilie:

 

We went back to MUS, but started Delta, which was easy for him. After about Lesson 6 of Delta, we dropped it for a few weeks. When we stared our new school year (this one), B asked to do MUS again. We started with the part in Gamma where he had been stuck, and he had absolutely no problem with it! I think there really is something to that whole brain maturity thing. :lol:

 

So now that he's stuck on Delta, I've put it away for now. He's started TT5 again, as a way to do some fun review or "place holder". (In other words, "Mom needs to feel like some math is getting done." :D) Eventually we'll get back to that long division; I'm hoping that his brain will have matured to the point where it's not so impossible-seeming by then. :)

[motherdear]

We, too have struggled here and there with math. (We use MUS). Before you go spending all kinds of money on another program, try calling the regional sales person for MUS. They usually put their stickers on the back student book. If not, you can contact the main office in Pennsylvania, where you may even talk to Steve Demme himself! They will give you wonderful advice! On two occasions, I've asked them to resend PDF files of the chapters my son got stuck on. They were very glad to do so, and re-explained their procedure that we tend to forget when things are going well.

[amyco]

Kelsy, Are our children long lost math twins? :) I just told him today we're stopping division for a while. He asked what we'd do instead, and I told him I hadn't figured it out yet. He suggestion addition! :)

 

Thinking about it, in my own life when I am trying to learn something new and hit a wall, I often find it's easier when I drop it for a while and come back to it.

 

*letting out big sigh of relief*

 

Just good to know there's others out there who have gone thru similar situations!

[specialmama]

We're in the midst of this as well! So funny you posted this!

 

I just spent an hour using strawberries and cups and making up problems. ie: we have 9 strawberries right here. There are 3 people (the bowls.) Divide (which means split) them so everyone gets the same amount.

 

After that, I had her write a number, then put the division sign over that number, saying it (the sign) was like a house. I had her write and say "this means divided by" and explained that the big number goes in that house. The smaller number goes on the other side. I put a big X over the division sign to show that the 2 question components never go up there, only the answer. Then I asked her simple questions: if I say 12 divided by 6, where does each number go? She got it rather quickly, so I gave her a whiteboard and we spent another hour with me giving her simple questions. She only had to write the question down properly, not give the answer. I had her specifically say it as she wrote it, so 12 divided by 6, she would say and write from right to left: 12 (then draw the house and say) divided by 6. After an hour of doing that, she does get it now. I'm glad cuz we've been stuck for almost a month.

 

I think it takes being creative, using your child's learning strengths. I just figured I'd use all the senses and one of them ought to work! ;)

 

Then again, a break sounds good too! :tongue_smilie: