Are there any alternative ways of teaching division other than the long method---the standard way? My fourth grader is having a very hard time with division because he's memory skills are poor and he has difficulities with the facts.
Thanks

[dlynneteacher]

I think math should still be concrete even in the fourth grade. I am going to assume your fourth grader is not learning disabled, but instead just does not "catch on" as fast as the other students.
I think you should make it personal for him. Use lots and lots of manipulatives-no I am not telling you to run to the teacher's store and buy a bunch of expensive stuff. Use what is handy.
Have him divide pencils, utensils, paint cans for members of the family (immediate and extended for more numbers). This becomes practice when it is repeated as opposed to mindless numbers that he gets frustrated over because he can't remember how to manipulate them.
Another thing you can do to make it personal is to find out-if you don't already know-what he wants to be when he grows up or what he is interested in. There are numbers in everything.
Even if he wants to be a rock star-"make up" problems for him-your latest CD sells for $968. To make the CD, you had 8 people in total working on it, if all of you get an equal share of the money, how much does each person get?
Have him think in personal terms when he is doing homework-with each problem, that way it is not just mindless drill and kill!
I am sorry this is so long but I hope it has given you some ideas. Best of luck!

[Kermit]

Check out partial products division and double division methods. You should be able to find them online. They both take less precise estimation than the traditional method.

Also, it's helpful to have a multiplication chart on hand when doing the long division.

Work on memorizing the math facts!

Type both of those into google and the first site you see will show the alternate methods.

[TexTeacher]

I agree with the above poster. Look up partial products.

[Combow]

I have my 4th graders make a multiples list on the side of the problem using the divisor. Then then can refer to it as they do the long division problem. It helps the student who doesn't have the facts down, but can work on the division process. Once upon a time I viewed a video called "Divide and Conquer" which was about teaching division using multiple intelligences and teaching it all in one day. I have tried to get my hands on it since then but apparently it's not available. If anyone knows where I can get it please let me know. Good Luck with long division.

[Combow]

I had never heard of partial products division before so I had to look it up. It looks intriguing.
http://mb.msdpt.k12.in.us/Math/Algorithms.html

This site has a video that explains it well.

Once again PT teaches me something new.

One of my colleagues has, for the past 2 years, done this to introduce long division -

She starts by using only one divisor each day. For instance today we are dividing only by the number 2. Tomorrow it will be by 3. The next day only by 4 and so on. She lists all the facts for that particular divisor and has the students copy them so they have them right there in black and white. She says her students have made such progress in understanding division using this simple approach. I'm going to try it this year.

[morahsharon]

Have you tried using the repeated subtraction metod?
Example:
54 divided by 7

54
-7
47
-7
40
-7
33
-7
26
-7
19
-7
12
-7
5

Count how many times you subtracted 7 and what is left over is the remainder.7r5