Unlock the secret to making division easy for your fifth or sixth grader with our latest blog post!
This post includes five sample problems to enhance your child’s understanding right from the start.
Dividing large numbers, like 56,566 ÷ 768, can be one of the most daunting challenges for fifth or sixth graders. Many students struggle with these complex problems, especially if they haven’t mastered their multiplication facts.
This lack of foundational skills can make tackling large division problems feel next to impossible. It can lead to frustration, a lack of confidence, and a general aversion to math. Without proper strategies, students may find themselves falling behind, unable to keep up with their peers.
Our article introduces Area Division, a strategy designed to ensure all children can successfully divide large numbers. In our blog post, your child will:
- Discover Area Division: Learn an innovative method that simplifies the process of dividing large numbers.
- Build Confidence: Step-by-step lessons make complex problems manageable, boosting your child’s confidence.
- Achieve Long-term Success: A solid understanding of division is crucial for future math success.
This is the fifth article in a series of seven, each providing a complete lesson on division. Visit our website (https://www.teachersdungeon.com/) for a comprehensive educational program designed to help kids become proficient in mathematics. By mastering these strategies, your child will gain a deeper, more concrete understanding of division, paving the way for a successful educational journey. Don’t miss out on this valuable resource—empower your child’s learning today!
When you complete this article, click here to move to the next lesson, How to do Long Division – Dividing when your answer is a Decimal.
With the standard algorithm for division, children are taught to round the divisor up or down before estimating how many time the divisor will go into the dividend. This can cause frustration and a lot of erasing! For example, with the problem 43,642 ÷ 739; Children are taught to round 739 down to 700. Next, since 739 x 6 = 4434, you would multiply by 6. But as you can see below, the 6 is too high and that would put you over, so you would have to erase and try again.
With Area Division, children will never get frustrated, because they never guess too high and have to erase!
If you watch one of my videos, you can see this strategy in action.
The strategy of counting by the numbers is designed specifically for children who do NOT know their multiplication facts. My goal is for children is to memorize their multiplication facts. However, until they know all their facts, they need a strategy. Counting by the numbers is the easiest strategy to learn. Therefore, I have added counting by the numbers to the end of each and every video. Children who do not know all their multiplication facts should watch and count with me at the end of each of these videos until they can count by all the number on their own. Repetition of this strategy will help in all areas of math that require multiplication. Once a child knows all their multiplication facts, they can stop the videos after the problem is solved and before Counting by the Numbers begins.
I have scaffold the problems in each lesson.
The first problem in this article is a “Watch Me” problem. The second is a “Work with Me” problem. All the rest are “On Your Own” problems.
*If your child needs a bit more support, they should complete the “On Your Own” problems as a “Work with Me” problem. I have a number of students with gaps in their learning and others with a variety of learning disabilities. I have had incredible success, by having those students complete 5 to 7 problems within each lesson as a “Work with Me” problem. They play a bit of the video, then pause it and copy, then watch a bit more, pause it and copy. My students Play – Pause – and Copy until the entire problem is solved. This is like having a personal tutor working through each and every problem with your child. Every one of my students who has used this strategy has passed the Common Core Proficiency Exam.
How to do Long Division with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 1
Watch Me
Flying to the Moon
Mission to the Moon!
You recently joined the Junior NASA Club of America. As a member, you get to board a rocket ship and fly to the moon! ✨ You will land on the moon and stay there for 24 hours before returning home. The moon is 239,145 miles from Earth, and your rocket ship flies at 321 miles per hour.
❓ How long will it take you to reach the moon?
Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!
Press PLAY and Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video below. Then copy these strategies into your notes!
How to do Long Division with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 2
Work With Me
Don’t Cry Over Spilt Sugar
Sugar Spill Disaster!
It’s your mom’s birthday, so you decide to bake her a cake! You grab the sugar but—oh no!—the bag rips, spilling 56,566 granules of sugar all over the kitchen floor. If each scoop of the dustpan picks up 768 granules…
❓ How many scoops will you need to clean up the mess?
Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!
Gather your materials and press PLAY. We’ll solve this problem together, while you watch the math tutorial video below.
How to do Long Division with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 3
On Your Own
Australian Ant Eaters
The Great Anteater Escape!
The largest ant colony in the U.S. is in California, running 560 miles along the coast. Now imagine 246 Australian Anteaters escape from the zoo and start devouring ants as fast as they can. Before being caught, they eat 44,034 ants!
❓ If they all eat the same amount, how many ants did each anteater consume?
Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!
Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below. Good Luck!
How to do Long Division with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 4
On Your Own
Mosquitoes on Silver Lake
Bats vs. Mosquitoes!
You live on Silver Lake, where swimming is amazing! But there’s a problem—327,294 mosquitoes attack you whenever you go outside. Luckily, 342 bats live nearby and love to eat mosquitoes.
❓ If each bat eats the same amount, how many mosquitoes must each bat eat to clear the skies?
Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!
Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below. Good Luck!
How to do Long Division with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 5
On Your Own
Scorpion Attack
Meerkat Scorpion Defense!
Your home is under attack! 244,942 scorpions are racing down the hill toward your house. But you’re prepared—you raise 147 meerkats, and scorpions are their favorite snack!
❓ How many scorpions must each meerkat eat to protect your home?
Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!
Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below. Good Luck!
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Hi Mr. McCoy, I wanted to thank you for showing me how to do area division. It is a lot easier than doing long division.
Hi there Evelyn –
I am very glad to hear that this blog post has helped you.
If you have another educational topic that you find difficult – let me know.
I will see if I can help.
Have a great day!
I think area division is really cool.
This video helped me understand area division, which is much easier than long division.
Area division is super cool, and I didn’t even know that it existed until I read this post.
Hi there Franccesca –
I am glad to hear that you like using Area Division to solve your math problems.
Good luck to you.
Have a great day!
Hello again Mr. McCoy, I like Area Division so much that I had to write another comment. I think it is so much easier that long division, and I think people can learn it faster. The part I like the best is when you make a mistake. You can just add an other box and keep on going. My math is much better with Area Division!
Hi Evelyn,
I sure appreciate your comments.
Keep up the great work & have a fantastic day!
I like, will read more. Cheers!
Hi Alane –
I am glad to hear that you enjoyed this post.
Thank you for your comment.
Have a great day!
Still loving all of the videos.
Your blogs are helping!
Thanks!
Hi there Malik –
That’s Great! Thanks so much for sharing your success.
Have a fantastic day!
Thanks, I just can’t stop watching the blogs Mr.Mccoy. This is really helping do my home work now and some times even on test. Thanks so much for taking all your time out to make these videos!
Hi Malik –
Thank you for your kind words. It is great to hear that my blog is helping you.
Best wishes to you my friend and have a great day!
You to have a fantastic day
Hi Mr. Mccoy, I like your “4 simple steps for dividing”. It is really an eye opener that there are always other ways, simple, precise, and easy in doing division. Thank you for sharing it.
Hi Robert –
First and foremost, I am really sorry for the delay in responding to you. I did not see your comment until just now.
Thanks for you kind words. I strive to make the math accessible for all kids. My goal is to help them feel good about themselves and their educational abilities. Comments like yours make me want to keep working on this blog.
Thanks again – Have a great day!
At first it was really hard but ounce I did more problems it got eaiser.
This does interest me
Thanks!
If you would like more information, please visit my TeachersPayTeachers store.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mccoys-Math-Link
You can find helpful math problems & video like the samples in this post.
Have a great day!