Module 4 Calculating
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Can I use grouping to solve division problems?

Example review questions

  • Count from zero in tens to 50. How many tens did you count? How many tens are there in 50?
    A line marked in tens up to 50
  • How many 5s are in 20? How do you know? How could you write this as a number sentence?
  • How could you work out 15 ÷ 5?
  • How many 2s make 14?
  • Read these number sentences using the words 'How many...': 40 ÷ 10, 25 ÷ 5, 12 ÷ 2
  • How many lengths of 10cm can you cut from 80cm of tape?
  • There are 12 identical socks. How many pairs can you make?
  • How many £2 coins do you get for £20?
  • How many sticks of 4 cubes can you make from a stick of 20 cubes?
  • If you put 60 eggs in boxes of 10, how many boxes would you fill?
    A box of ten eggs

Teaching guidance

This teaching guidance document suggests some of the key vocabulary, models, images and practical equipment that children should experience and be able to use. It also includes some teaching tips to provide a few starting points for ways of supporting children with this area of mathematics.

PDF file Can I use grouping to solve division problems? - teaching guidance | 75KB new window

Consolidation and practice

These resources are to support children in guided or independent work.

PDF file ITP Guide | 4317KB new window

SWF file Grouping ITP | 21KB new window

PDF file Understanding multiplication and division models and images chart | 333KB new window

Supporting children with gaps in their mathematical understanding

PDF file Does not understand that 'sets of' or 'groups of' need to be subtracted to solve the problem | 104KB new window

PDF file Resource booklet | 501Kb new window

Opportunities to use and apply

Possible contexts include:

  • Counting a set of objects reliably, e.g. count a handful of beads by grouping them in 5s. How many 5s are there? How many left over? How many beads altogether? What division sentence could you write?
  • Reasoning, e.g. Davinder is counting in 2s to find numbers that divide into groups of 2. Yasmin is counting in 5s. Will any of their numbers be the same? Why?
  • PE, e.g. there are 28 children here today. How many groups of four can we make for our PE lesson? What could we do if there were 30 children?
  • Word problems, e.g. Ben has 35p in 5p coins. How many coins does he have? Pencils come in packs of 10. There are 56 pencils. How many complete packs can be made?

Confirming learning

Ask probing questions such as:

  • A baker bakes 25 buns. She puts 5 buns in every packet. How many packets can she fill? What if she had 30 buns? What if she had 31 buns?
  • What is 40 ÷ 10? How can you work it out? Can you work out 20 ÷ 5? Can you think of another example that has the same answer?
  • Which of these numbers can you divide into equal groups of 5? 20, 50, 32, 40, 23, 10. Explain how you know.
  • Can you find four different numbers that you can divide into groups of 3?
  • Can you think of a number that you cannot divide into equal groups of 5? How do you know?