Long Division — 4th Grade Lesson

Review: what division means

Division is sharing into equal groups — the opposite of multiplication. 144 ÷ 4 asks: how many in each group if 144 is split 4 ways?

The long-division steps (DMSB)

Remember DMSB: Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Bring down.

144 ÷ 4

1. Divide: 4 goes into 14 three times → 3
2. Multiply: 3 × 4 = 12, write it below 14
3. Subtract: 14 - 12 = 2
4. Bring down: bring the 4 down to make 24
5. Repeat: 4 goes into 24 six times → 36

What to do with remainders

When the last subtraction leaves a number smaller than the divisor, that’s the remainder.

13 ÷ 5: 5 goes in twice (10), 3 left → 2 R 3

Estimating the first digit

Before dividing, estimate: how many times does the divisor go into the first part of the dividend?

96 ÷ 3: 3 goes into 9 three times → 3 in the tens place.

Checking your answer

Multiply your quotient by the divisor — you should get the dividend (plus the remainder).

32 × 3 = 96 ✓ (2 × 5) + 3 = 13 ✓

How to practice at home

• Share it: “Share 144 crackers among 4 people — how many each?”
• Fact review: quick division facts keep the algorithm fast.
• Estimate first so you can catch errors.
• Check with multiplication after every problem.

Practice with the exercises above, then download these free printable worksheets:

• Long Division
• Thanksgiving Division Word Problems
• Summer Division Word Problems
• Division Facts (Grade 3)
• Division Word Problems