Help teaching long division!!?

Question

I am having such a hard time with my very bright son learning long division. He's been working on it for weeks and doesn't get it. He forgets steps, whether to round up or down, misaligns things, makes silly addition errors, etc. It seems like we'll NEVER finish with long division and I am saying the same things over and over, basically doing the problems for him because I'm giving him the steps. Are there any good resources online to assist him?

Answer 1

My son is also very bright, but had problems with this method just because of the lining it up...he preferred to do it in his head rather than go through the steps!!  Of course as the numbers get bigger and bigger--that's a problem...LOL

Anyway, there is a method called "partial quotient" that he was able to use successfully. I have included a link to a better explanation than I can give in a few sentences below, but basically--you divide by easier numbers and keep dividing until the numbers get smaller & smaller then you add them up.  He will still have to do some aligning, but not as much.  It also provides another method of division.

Good luck!  I hope it works for you!

http://staffweb.wwcsd.net/berelsc/PARTIA...

Answer 2

the idea above is one I use with my students who are having trouble mastering long division. partial quotients is the key - if they can see it as (from the article...) "how many nines in..." rather than just lining things up and multiplying then subtracting...

it becomes a more concrete exercise for them. see the article:

http://curriculalessons.suite101.com/art...

Answer 3

You nailed it right on the head... He's very bright and you're doing it for him.  Stop.

Answer 4

I had a lot of problems with it too...but what really helped me in the end was graph paper. It helped keep in neat and in line and everything...just one number per box. It really made a difference, and to this day I use graph paper for math...