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Division and fact families
Can do: Knows 42 ÷ 6 because they know 6 × 7, and understands division as sharing and as grouping.
Why it matters
Division taught as a separate skill doubles the memorisation load. Taught as multiplication backwards, it's free.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Treats every division as a brand-new problem to work out by repeated subtraction.
⏱️ Two-minute check
"56 ÷ 8?" then "How did you know?" Then: "Write the four facts in that family."
Solid looks like: Seven, justified by 8 × 7, and all four related facts.
The full activity for this topic · 10 minutes
Fact Family Triangles
- 1Draw a triangle with 6, 7 and 42 at the corners.
- 2Cover one corner. They say the missing number and the fact that gives it.
- 3Write all four facts from that triangle: two multiplications, two divisions.
- 4Do a real sharing problem — 42 sweets between 6 people — and connect it back to the triangle.
- 5Then a grouping problem: 42 sweets in bags of 6. Same maths, different picture.
If it's too hard
Use small numbers from tables they already know cold.
If it's too easy
Division with a remainder, and what the remainder means in the actual story.
Say this
"Don't work it out. What times 8 gives you 56? That's the same question."