Stage 1: Pictures
Children are encouraged to develop a mental picture of the number system in their heads to use for calculation. They learn to count in different steps and experience sharing and grouping using a variety of practical resources and real life objects. They develop ways of recording calculations using pictures, etc.
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It is important to note that ‘sharing’ is an experience of division only if it is ‘sharing equally between’.
Use of language and visual representation is important – remember the visual image for sharing will be different for grouping. Create topic links where possible.
e.g 6 ÷ 2 ...
Grouping – “How many 2’s in 6”
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How many 5’s in 15?
Division situations of this kind have what is called the inverse of multiplication structure.
Setting the problems in both real life/topic context and solving them with concrete apparatus will support children’s understanding.
“I have got 5 bones to share equally between my two dogs. How many bones will they get each?”
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It is important that children have lots of experiences in grouping and sharing for division using practical apparatus, arrays and pictorial representations in the early stages of understanding this concept.