%20and%20get%20to%20work.Ask%20your%20child%20to%20take%20twelve%20marbles%20and%20put%20them%20in%20front%20of%20them.%20Then%20tell%20them%20to%20imagine%20that%20they%20have%20two%20friends%20(or%20their%20favorite...){kind=link}
How to introduce division to your child
How to introduce division to your child
Okay, your child presumably already knows multiplication, and now it's time to introduce division, right? Too easy. Simply grab a bag of marbles (or whatever other pretty shiny things you'd like to use) and get to work.
Ask your child to take twelve marbles and put them in front of them. Then tell them to imagine that they have two friends (or their favorite two teddies, two space cowboys, etc) and the marbles need to be divided (or shared) equally between them. Watch how they go about this. Many kids get this right without much assistance.
But if they require some help, simply pick up one marble at a time and place it into a left and a right set, alternating until all twelve marbles have been placed.
You may now congratulate them, because they have just divided twelve by two, and the answer of course is six.
Now tell them that a third friend has come around, and so now the twelve marbles need to be evenly divided by three friends. This is a little more complex and may require a bit of assistance. You basically want your child to divide the twelve marbles into three sets, putting the marbles into a left, middle and right set, one marble at a time. They probably need help with this. Ask them, "so how many marbles does each friend get?".
When done, congratulate them, because they just divided 12 by 3.
Lastly, ask them what would happen if a fourth friend arrived, so that now they have to divide the twelve marbles into four sets. Most kids will be able to do this on their own by this time, creating four sets that they build up one marble at a time, until they arrive at the answer of three. Again congratulations are in order.
One type of division I also like to put in at this point (after having divided the 12 by 4 is division by one. This is kind of fun, because when you ask your child, "Okay, take your twelve marbles and now only one friend has come. Can you divide the twelve marbles evenly by one friend?" They usually think about this one for a bit and then the whole set gets moved into one spot. Have fun with this one (and the whole exercise).
Marbles work really well, not just because they are easily handled, but also because they are smooth and shiny, which is always fascinating for kids. But of course, buttons, pens or teacups can work, too. I just like marbles.
Once kids have gotten the concept of visualizing division like this, you can relate what they have done in division to multiplication, so they can see how the two operations are really just the reverse of one another.
Finally, it's really down to rinse and repeat, and have them get lots of practice. Fortunately there are loads of great math games out there which go a long way to ensuring that math practice stays as interesting as possible and your child achieves mastery quickly rather than agonizingly slowly. Teenager Sufferers of Acute Hearing Loss. Hearing Loss Not Just a Senior Difficulty Bike Safety for Kids: Helmets are Not Enough Toy quality to become a major threat to the safety of children - Geological Drilling Rig Top Ten Christmas Gifts For Children in the Philippines A Metal Swing Set For Your Kids - Must Look At Kettler Brand A Kettler Metal Swing Set Review For Your Kids Teen Eating Disorders - An Overview Treating Impetigo Skin Problems In Children Is Providing Reading Help For Children Insanity? High High Quality Beds For The Kids Child Support Attorneys-2 Critical Factors In Choosing A Child Support Attorney Cell Phone Suppliers In Shenzhen, China Focus Their Attention On Developing Kids Cell Phone Cloud and Wooden Toys Play enterprises are faced with sudden crises shuffle - Toys crisis, wooden toys - the toy industry