Division is counting how many times one number is contained in another
number. When you are teaching multiplication readiness, it is a great time
to draw the relationship between multiplication and division. After you
have skip counted and have shown students the multiplication facts and their
meanings, you can show them the division relationship.
In multiplication you are counting a number, a number of times:
5 x 4 = 20 Five counted four times
is twenty.
In division we are counting how many times one number is contained in another
number:
20 divided by 5 = how many fives can I count from 20?
You can show this problem by getting out the total number of 20 green units
and arranging them into groups of 5.
Another way you can show this problem is by getting out 20 using two blue
ten-bars. Then take out several light blue 5-bars and place them on top or
beside the blue tens to show how many fives can be counted from 20.
