Year 2 learn how to divide

This week, Year 2 children started division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, including recognising odd and even numbers. Firstly, children divided by sharing objects into equal groups using concrete objects and later on moved to pictorial representation. They were able to find out the number of objects in each group. They then counted on to find the total number of groups. Once the ‘÷’ symbol was introduced, children were able to recognise the link between division, multiplication and repeated addition. Using concrete manipulatives and pictorial representations in a variety of contexts was highly effective as they could see the relationship between multiplication and division.

In problem solving, visual representations of concrete objects were used to model problems. Children were able to make a mental connection between the physical object and the abstract pictures, diagrams/models that represented the objects from the problem. Using resources also helped when introducing the concept of odd and even numbers. Children were able to say why a particular number was even or odd after grouping objects into two groups. An even number is a number that can be divided into two equal groups. An odd number is a number that cannot be divided into two equal groups! Regardless of how many digits a number has got, children knew whether it was odd or even just by looking at the last digit.