Division is about sharing fairly and making equal groups. Year 1 children share objects between friends, split amounts into groups and find half of small numbers.
What your child will learn
- Share a set of objects equally between 2, 3 or 5
- Group objects into equal sets and count the groups
- Find half of an even number up to 20
- Explain what "fair" or "equal" means when sharing
Sharing and grouping
There are two ways to think about division. Sharing asks, "If 12 cookies are shared between 3 friends, how many does each get?" Grouping asks, "How many bags of 3 can I make from 12 cookies?" Both give the answer 4.
Division Castle uses picture questions so children can share objects out one at a time — the natural way young children divide.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Share 6 crayons equally between 2 friends. How many does each friend get?
- 4
- 5
- 2
- 3
Show answer
Answer: 3. Share them out one at a time. Each friend gets 3, because 2 × 3 = 6.
2. Share 8 flowers equally between 2 friends. How many does each friend get?
Show answer
Answer: 4. Share them out one at a time. Each friend gets 4, because 2 × 4 = 8.
3. Share 4 cupcakes equally between 2 friends. How many does each friend get?
- 2
- 0
- 4
- 1
Show answer
Answer: 2. Share them out one at a time. Each friend gets 2, because 2 × 2 = 4.
Tips for grown-ups
- Share out snacks, toys or cards and check that everyone has the same.
- Ask "Is that fair?" when something is split unequally.
- Find half of a small group by sorting objects into two equal piles.