Use place value and known facts to divide mentally

The ArithmeKit 4 23 from CanDoMaths is a comprehensive set of exercises designed to enhance mental division skills using place value knowledge and arithmetic facts. Students are encouraged to notice patterns and relationships between numbers that allow them to divide mentally with greater ease. For example, they are shown how dividing a number by 9, such as 7.2 ÷ 9, can be related to other calculations like 720 ÷ 9, with the latter being a scaled-up version of the former. The exercises also include matching calculations to their correct answers, reinforcing the concept that division is the inverse of multiplication and that understanding one can aid in the other.

The resource further challenges students with problems that require them to fill in missing digits to complete division statements correctly, using each digit from 0 to 9 exactly once. This task helps to solidify their understanding of place value and division facts. Students are also prompted to consider whether statements like "When you make one of the numbers in a division calculation ten times larger, the answer is ten times smaller" are always, sometimes, or never true, fostering critical thinking about mathematical rules and their application. The use of practical resources and jottings alongside mental methods encourages a deep and flexible understanding of division.