Division as Repeated Subtraction

Division has got to be my worst fear when it comes to math. When I was younger, I learned how to divide by doing the classic long hand method. This was incredibly time consuming, and confusing; if you misplaced just one number, the entire problem is wrong and you end up having to start all over. Most of the time I would get so frustrated that I would just whip out my calculator and solve the division problems without really understanding the method. But, as an adult I have learned about a new way math teachers are teaching division, through repeated subtraction. 

One way to use the repeated subtraction method is by subtracting off as many hundreds as you can, then tens, and then ones. This method would look like my example below:

Another way to use the repeated subtraction method is my subtracting the divisor from the dividend until you reach zero, or close to zero. The video below does a wonderful job of illustrating this:

 

The last method I have discovered for using the repeated subtraction is by using a simple number line. The picture example below shows how this would be done:

Looking at division problems this way makes it much less scary, confusing, and time consuming. The fact that the repeated subtraction to solve division problems has three different ways makes it even more important for us as teachers to be utilizing in the classroom. As an educator myself, I know that children all learn differently, and I believe that teaching division as repeated subtraction and having three different ways to accomplish is great because some students may find using the number line way more suited to them, or some may prefer the subtracting of the divisor from dividend, and if all else fails, some may be more comfortable using the subtracting of hundreds, tens, and ones to their liking. In my future classroom I fully intend on using this method in teaching my students division!