Long Division
This topic covers 5 learning steps, guiding your child from the basics through to confident problem-solving. Each step includes a worked example and adaptive practice questions.
What Your Child Will Learn
- Bus Stop Method Intro
Understand the layout of short/long division - 3-Digit / 1-Digit
Divide a 3-digit number by a single digit - 3-Digit / 2-Digit
Divide by a 2-digit number using long division - Division with Remainders
Handle remainders in long division - Challenge — Complex Long Division
Large number division and multi-step problems
Before This Topic
Your child should be comfortable with:
- Division Facts (Year 4)
- Long Multiplication (Year 4)
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting to bring down the next digit (skipping a step in the long division process)
Long division follows a strict cycle: Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Bring down. Write the steps out explicitly each time and tick off each stage. Missing "bring down" is the most common error. - Placing the answer digits in the wrong column (e.g. writing the quotient over the wrong digit of the dividend)
Each answer digit must go directly above the digit you are currently dividing into. Use squared paper so each digit has its own column and stays aligned.
Tips for Parents
- Teach the memory aid "Does McDonald's Sell Burgers?" — Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Bring down. Repeat for each digit.
- Start with short division (bus stop method) for single-digit divisors, then extend the same process to two-digit divisors.
- Encourage estimation first: "732 ÷ 6 — well, 720 ÷ 6 = 120, so the answer should be around 122."
- Use squared paper to keep digits aligned — messy layouts cause most long division mistakes.
Key Words
- Long division — A step-by-step written method for dividing large numbers by breaking them down digit by digit.
- Dividend — The number being divided — the big number inside the division bracket.
- Divisor — The number you are dividing by — it sits outside the bracket.
- Quotient — The answer to the division — it goes on top of the bracket.
- Remainder — The amount left over when a number does not divide exactly.
Where This Fits
Before this topic: Children should know their times tables fluently, understand division as the inverse of multiplication, and be confident with short division.
After this topic: Long division extends to dividing by two-digit numbers in Year 6, and is needed for converting fractions to decimals and for algebraic division.
How MathCraft Teaches This
In MathCraft, Long Division is taught through the Algebra & Arithmetic adventure track. Your child follows guided lessons with friendly characters, works through examples step by step, then practises with questions that adapt to their level.
The adaptive engine tracks mastery across all 5 steps, revisiting concepts your child finds tricky and advancing when they're ready. Parents can see detailed progress in the Parent Dashboard.
Practise Long Division with MathCraft
Step-by-step lessons, worked examples, and adaptive practice — all wrapped in an adventure game your child will love.
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