➗ Long Division Explained Simply for Your Child

This evening, your child is stuck on a long division problem. They have the layout in front of them, numbers everywhere, and you can’t quite remember the method you learned at school. Don’t worry: long division is based on four steps that always repeat in the same order. Once your child understands this little routine, everything becomes much easier.

Here’s how to explain it calmly, with a complete example, the most common mistakes, and tips to help your child remember the method for the long term.

What exactly is long division?

To divide is to share into equal parts. 857 sweets to share between 3 children: how many does each get, and how many are left over? Long division lets you work this out without counting the sweets one by one.

Four words to know, used in class:

• dividend: the number being divided (857);
• divisor: the number of parts (3);
• quotient: the size of each part (the answer);
• remainder: what can’t be shared equally.

Write the dividend on the left, then draw the division bracket: a vertical and a horizontal line forming an ‘L’ shape. The divisor goes at the top right, and the quotient is built underneath.

Usually, this technique is introduced towards the end of CE2 (age 8-9) or in CM1, starting with a single-digit divisor, then extended in CM2 to two-digit divisors and decimal quotients. Textbooks may vary a little depending on the school: always follow your child’s exercise book layout.

Step by step: long division with an example

Let’s take 857 ÷ 3. Work from left to right, one digit at a time.

1. Take the first digit: 8. How many times does 3 fit into 8? 3 × 2 = 6 and 3 × 3 = 9, which is too much. So, 2 times. Write 2 in the quotient, put 6 under the 8 and subtract: 8 − 6 = 2.
2. Bring down the next digit: 5. Next to the remainder 2, you get 25. How many times does 3 fit into 25? 3 × 8 = 24. Write 8 in the quotient, then 25 − 24 = 1.
3. Bring down the last digit: 7. You get 17. How many times does 3 fit into 17? 3 × 5 = 15. Write 5 in the quotient, then 17 − 15 = 2.
4. No more digits to bring down: you’re done. The quotient is 285, the remainder is 2.

You can write it as: 857 = (3 × 285) + 2. Each child gets 285 sweets, and 2 are left over.

The long division steps table

Print or copy this next to your child’s exercise book during homework:

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

1. Forgetting the zero in the answer. This is the most common mistake. Example: 618 ÷ 6. In 6, 6 goes once, remainder 0. Bring down the 1: in 1, 6 goes… 0 times. You still need to write 0 in the answer! Then bring down the 8: in 18, 6 goes 3 times. The answer is 103, not 13.

2. A remainder bigger than the divisor. If your child gets a remainder of 5 when dividing by 3, it means the answer digit was too small. Go back and try a bigger digit for that step.

3. Bringing down two digits at once. Only bring down one digit at a time, and write one digit in the answer each time.

4. Crooked columns. The subtractions should stay lined up under the correct digits. A notebook with large squares helps a lot.

5. Times tables not yet secure. All division relies on knowing the multiplication tables. If your child hesitates on 7 × 8, every step becomes a struggle. In this case, it's best to review the tables first, for example with our guide to learning multiplication tables or the sheet on the 7 times table, which is often the trickiest.

Check a written division in 30 seconds

The best habit to teach: always check the answer. The rule is simple:

(answer × divisor) + remainder = dividend

For our example: 285 × 3 = 855, and 855 + 2 = 857. We get back to the starting number, so the division is correct. If not, look for the mistake—often a forgotten zero or a subtraction error.

Another useful habit: estimate before you calculate. 857 ÷ 3 is a little less than 900 ÷ 3 = 300. So an answer of 28 or 2,850 should ring alarm bells. Mental maths in CM1 is great for building this sense of scale.

What about a two-digit divisor?

In CM2, for example, you might divide 683 by 27. The method is exactly the same, but you don't know the "27 times table". The trick: write out a few multiples of 27 in the margin first (27, 54, 81, 108, 135, 162…).

• 6 doesn't contain 27, so take 68: 27 × 2 = 54, remainder 68 − 54 = 14.
• Bring down the 3: 143. In 143, 27 × 5 = 135, remainder 143 − 135 = 8.
• Answer: 25, remainder 8. Check: 27 × 25 = 675, 675 + 8 = 683.

How to support your child without stress

• One division at a time. Three well-understood divisions are better than ten rushed ones.
• Get them to talk through it. Ask your child to say each step out loud: "I divide, I multiply, I subtract, I bring down". Speaking it helps them spot mistakes.
• Start with something concrete. Sharing biscuits or marbles helps make sense of the remainder: it's what can't be shared out evenly.
• Stick to the class method. If the teacher sets out the subtractions a certain way, do the same at home to avoid confusion.

In summary

Written division isn't magic: you divide, multiply, subtract, bring down, and repeat until the last digit. With solid times tables, never forgetting a zero, and always checking the answer, your child will quickly gain confidence. Just a few minutes a day is enough, and you can start this evening with exercises from our free printable workbook.