Max Maths, Year 6, Learn together, Dividing 3-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers (3)

In a Year 6 mathematics lesson from Max Maths, students are learning to divide 3-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers using repeated subtraction. The example provided demonstrates how to divide 959 by 38. The process starts with subtracting multiples of 38 from 959 until what remains is less than 38. Initially, 10 multiples of 38, which is 380, are subtracted from 959 to get 579. This same multiple is subtracted again since 380 is less than 579, leaving 199. Students continue by finding smaller multiples of 38 that can be subtracted from the remaining number. In this case, 4 multiples of 38 (which is 152) are subtracted from 199 leaving 47. Finally, one multiple of 38 is subtracted from 47, leaving a remainder of 9.

The lesson then guides students to add up the factors used in the subtractions to determine the quotient. Here, 10 (from the first subtraction) plus another 10 (from the second subtraction), plus 4 (from the third subtraction), plus 1 (from the final subtraction) equals 25. Therefore, the division of 959 by 38 using repeated subtraction results in a quotient of 25 with a remainder of 9. This methodical approach helps students understand the concept of division as a process of repeated subtraction and provides a clear strategy for handling more complex division problems without relying on long division algorithms.