The new Common Core Standards for Math prompted me to create this Partial Quotient Strategy pack for use with students and with parents–yes, parents !
I will get to parents shortly, but first…Common Core stresses arming students with a variety of strategies to solve a problem. This includes division. Now, I’m an old-timer, and as an old-timer, I believe that every 5th grader should know how to do long division. I’ve spent countless hours trying to teach the algorithm to each and every student. The truth is, some kids JUST DON’T GET IT! Common Core gives the teacher permission to try teaching the concept using a different strategy. Amazingly, these struggling students seem to catch on fairly quickly to the Partial Quotient Strategy. Does it still bother me that they aren’t using the long division algorithm? Yes, quite honestly it does, but I am slowly changing my thinking–us old-timers can be pretty set in our ways.
I do teach the Partial Quotient Strategy to all my students. I find that those who understand long division, will practice this new strategy with me, but revert to the long division algorithm when given the choice. This suits me fine.
Now for parents. At nearly every parent/teacher conference I had this year, I heard how challenging the math was. How the parents could not even help their child with their math because the way we are solving problems is ‘not the way they learned it’. So, my thought for next year, is to have a math night. Invite parents into the classroom and show ‘new’ strategies such as this. I think the fold-up would make a good resource and wouldn’t solving the problems together be fun, lol? And, even if you aren’t quite ready for a ‘math night’, just sending the fold-up resource home would be beneficial.
Included in this packet is a one-fold fold-up. The cover gives a brief explanation of the partial quotient method. The inside gives two detailed examples.
I have also included to 2-sided worksheet to use with students. Also, included is a detailed answer key.
If you would like to purchase this packet for use in your classroom please visit my TpT Store or my Teacher’s Notebook Shop.
