Teaching students how to do long division can prove to be quite challenging regardless of the algorithm used.  Even more challenging is getting parents on board with any strategy that varies from the standard algorithm. I find that the partial quotient strategy is one of those strategies that usually getsa negative reaction from parents.  And yet, if students…and their parents would simply give it a chance they would find that it is an effective way to fluently complete a long division equation

So, how do we as teachers approach sharing this strategy with our students and parents?  First and foremost, I try to let my students know that I am going to show them more than one way to solve a long division problem.  I would like them to demonstrate that they understand how each strategy works, but in the end, it is up to them to choose the strategy they feel most comfortable using.  I always start with the standard long division algorithm, mostly because I know that this algorithm that is most widely recognized, particularly by parents.  But occasionally, I have a student that is struggling with the standard algorithm.  When this happens, I move on to the partial quotient strategy even before I introduce it to the whole class. Many times, these struggling students catch on fairly quickly to the partial quotient strategy.  Yes, it does take a great deal of practice, but doesn’t everything about learning math take practice?

I eventually teach the partial quotient strategy to all my students.  However, it is key that those students are quite comfortable with previous strategies.  If I try to move through different strategies too quickly, students get confused, overwhelmed and will ultimately shut down. After all strategies have been taught and practiced, I have found that most students will revert to the standard long division algorithm when given the choice.  This suits me just fine.

Now for parents.  The number one complaint about math was always the parents telling me that they can not even help their child with their math because the way we are solving problems is ‘not the way they learned it’. I explain to those parents that by looking at different ways to solve a problem, math reasoning and number sense are both being developed.  And math reasoning and number sense are critical to success in math.  I also let them know that in the long run, it doesn’t matter to me how the problem is solved as long as the student can explain their thinking and the problem is solved correctly.

What has proven to be most effective when introducing a strategy like partial quotient is to provide students with resources they can take home to help with homework. In addition to helping students, these resources help alleviate the anxiety parents have about math.

Today I am sharing the resources is use for partial quotient.  Pictured below is a We Flip for Math Flip Book focused on How to Divide Using Partial Quotient Method.  This flip book is probably one of the most requested resources.  It provides a step by step guide as to how partial quotients work.  While the students may still struggle even with this resource at hand, their parents are able to follow the steps and understand the process.  This provides the parent with the confidence they need to help their child complete their work.  Recently, I began putting this resource online so parents will always have it available.