long division-chunking?

Question

is anyone familiar with the "chunking" method of long division. my 10yr old has to do them with this method but i cant get my head round it. no im not thick but seriously, whats wrong with the old way..why do schools have to complicate things..if it aint broke.....

thanks for trying to help eeryone is it just in wigan they use this ethod or is it eerywhere?

Answer 1

I hadn't heard of it before now, so I looked it up.

Apparently the idea behind chunking is to break down a complicated division into simpler ones. I find that it's somewhat similar to what I might do if I'm doing long division in my head.

That said, I'm uncomfortable with this method being taught in place of the old way (and I've taught math, just at a higher level). One problem is, chunking is really only practical for relatively small numbers, or at least small divisors, while long division is useful anytime. Also, there is flexibility in how chunking can be applied, but that has the effect of computation becoming more of an art rather than a science, and at this fundamental level, it really needs to remain a science.

An example of chunking:

To divide 108 by 6, first note that 6*10=60, so you subtract 60 from 108 and are left with 48. Then you tackle the smaller problem of 48/6 and get 8.

Since 108=6*10+48, it follows that

108/6 = (6*10+48)/6 = 6*10/6 + 48/6 = 10+8=18.

In general, to divide n by m, you subtract "chunks" of the form k*m from n, where k is an integer. Then, for each chunk you've subtracted, you have to remember to add the value of k back in order to get the original quotient. So there's a bit of bookkeeping involved, which also makes me uncomfortable with this approach.

Answer 2

Long Division Chunking

Answer 3

Chunking is just another method of division they teach children in the hope that they will somehow be able to divide because they always find it so difficult. As a maths teacher I will teach both methods to allow them to choose.

Here is an example of chunking

184divided by 6
we know that 10x6=60 so there is at least 10 6's in 184

186 - 60 = 126 make a note of the 10 at side
126 - 60 = 66 so there is another 10
66 - 60 = 6 and another 10
6-6 =0 with 1 left

so we took 3 lots of 10 off which is 30 and then another 1

so 186 divided by 6 = 31

Hope that makes a bit of sense....its aimed to help children break down the sums into something a bit simpler.

Answer 4

Yes my son came home with 'an explanation of chunking' letter the other day... i don't understand it either! What's wrong with the way we used to do it?

Answer 5

i think chunking is like estimating, instaed of actually doing the problem, you find easier round estimates....ie. 310/32 could be 300/30