The Bus Stop Method is actually just another name for the traditional method of Short Division. Like all formal written methods in Maths, we don't encourage children to jump into this before having a good understanding of their times tables facts and the relationship these facts have to division. You may want to read last week's blog focussing on 'Division and Remainders' for ideas on how to help your child explore and understand division before jumping into this method.
If your child has a good knowledge of the place value of digits; they have a fairly good understanding and recall of their times tables facts; and understand the relationship between multiplication and division, then they are ready to dive and learn how to use the Bus Stop.
Don't be afraid to let your child use a Times Tables Mat while they begin to learn how to use the Bus Stop (there is a FREE Times Tables Mat download in my Primary Parents' Community on Facebook).
The National Curriculum introduces the short written method of division (Bus Stop) in Year 4 for dividing two and three digit numbers by a single digit. This is not to say that every child is ready for this method at this stage. Every child learns at a different pace and it's best not to rush them onto methods just because they are in the year group identified by the National Curriculum.
Squared paper really makes a difference when learning any of the formal written methods. It supports the recognition of Place Value in each of the digits. It also supports a tidy and methodical working approach, vital to the more complex maths your child will work with in years to come.
It's best to start off with small numbers that have no remainders so that children can gain confidence working through the calculation easily. It's also best to start with a divisor that they find easy to work. They may be more confident with dividing by 3 or 4 to begin with before working with divisors such as 7 and 8.
Over the years, I have found using the phrase, "How many lots of .. go into ...?" helps children relate their times tables facts to this task.
Here are some examples:
36 ÷ 3,
How many 3s go into 3 lots of ten?
How many 3s go into 9 ?
48 ÷ 2,
How many 2s go into 4 lots of ten?
How many 2s go into 8?
Once children become confident with working through each step and having lots of success, questions with remainders can be introduced.
The next step it to work with questions where the remainder occurs at the end of the calculation. That's because children can physically sort objects or draw arrays to prove their answer. They will see an amount left over to understand the principle of remainders.
The next step is to introduce questions where the remainder occurs in the first column. It's important that children see the remainders from the first column as lots of ten. When they see that the remainder as one lot of ten, they understand that the next calculation is therefore 18 divided by 2 rather than adding on and ending up with the calculation 9 divided by 2.
Whilst this method seems easy to us as adults, it does take time for children to master. There's no substitute for lots of practise at each stage. Don't forget to mix up the questions from previous stages as this helps children continue to use their mathematical knowledge rather than memorising a set of steps that can easily be forgotten.
As children develop confidence, they can begin to work with 3 digit and 4 digit numbers. They can eventually use this method for dividing decimals too.
For more information about the Maths skills taught at primary school level and embedded in the National Curriculum, join my Free Primary Parents' Community on Facebook.
Joanne Adams
Primary Teacher and Director
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