Grade 4 Mathematics Numbers – Division Notes
Mathematics — Numbers
Subtopic: Division (Age 9 — Kenyan context)
What you will learn: What division means, important words (dividend, divisor, quotient, remainder), ways to divide (sharing, grouping, number line, repeated subtraction), simple long division with one-digit divisors, and how to check answers.
Key words
- Dividend — the number being divided (e.g., 12 in 12 ÷ 3).
- Divisor — the number you divide by (e.g., 3 in 12 ÷ 3).
- Quotient — the answer of division (e.g., 4 in 12 ÷ 3 = 4).
- Remainder — what is left when division is not exact (e.g., 1 in 13 ÷ 4 = 3 r 1).
1. Two ways to understand division
a) Sharing: Share 12 sweets equally among 3 children.
Child 1
Child 2
Child 3
12 sweets ÷ 3 children = 4 sweets each. So 12 ÷ 3 = 4.
b) Grouping: Put 15 mangoes into groups of 3. How many groups?
Groups: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 → 5 jumps of 3
0
3
6
9
12
15
→
5 groups
15 ÷ 3 = 5
2. Division as inverse of multiplication
If 4 × 3 = 12, then 12 ÷ 3 = 4 and 12 ÷ 4 = 3. Use multiplication to check division.
3. Division with remainder
Not all numbers divide exactly. Example: 13 ÷ 4.
Group 13 into groups of 4:
Group 1: 4
Group 2: 4
Group 3: 4
Leftover: 1
13 ÷ 4 = 3 remainder 1 (write 13 ÷ 4 = 3 r 1)
4. Steps for short division (one-digit divisor)
Example: 84 ÷ 7
- Look at first digit(s) of dividend that the divisor can go into. 8 ÷ 7 = 1 => write 1 as first digit of quotient.
- Multiply: 1 × 7 = 7. Subtract: 8 − 7 = 1.
- Bring down next digit (4) → makes 14. 14 ÷ 7 = 2. Write 2.
- Multiply: 2 × 7 = 14. Subtract: 14 − 14 = 0. No remainder.
- Quotient = 12. Check: 12 × 7 = 84.
5. Methods you can use
- Sharing equally (best for small numbers).
- Grouping (count groups or jumps on number line).
- Repeated subtraction: subtract divisor until 0 or less than divisor.
- Short (long) division for bigger numbers by steps.
6. Kenyan real-life examples
- There are 24 pupils and 6 chairs. How many pupils can sit on each chair when shared equally? 24 ÷ 6 = 4 pupils per chair.
- A farmer has 25 mangoes and packs them into boxes of 6. How many full boxes and how many left? 25 ÷ 6 = 4 r 1 (4 boxes, 1 mango left).
- Sharing KSh 30 fairly among 5 friends: 30 ÷ 5 = 6 (each gets KSh 6).
7. Practice questions
- 12 ÷ 3 = ?
- 15 ÷ 4 = ? (write remainder if any)
- 21 ÷ 7 = ?
- 27 ÷ 5 = ?
- There are 32 maize seeds to be planted in rows of 8. How many rows? 32 ÷ 8 = ?
- School bought 45 exercise books and shares them equally among 9 classes. How many books each class? 45 ÷ 9 = ?
Answers
- 4
- 3 r 3 (because 4 × 3 = 12 and 15 − 12 = 3)
- 3
- 5 r 2
- 4
- 5
8. Tips and common mistakes
- Always check using multiplication: divisor × quotient (+ remainder) = dividend.
- If the divisor is bigger than the current digit, use two digits from the dividend.
- Don't forget the remainder if division is not exact.
- Practice times tables — they help a lot with division!
Try this challenge: A teacher has 73 pencils and 8 pupils. How many pencils does each pupil get and how many are left? Work out and check your answer by multiplication.
Prepared for Kenyan Grade 4 learners. Use drawings, counters or beans at home to practise sharing and grouping — it helps you understand division better!