The long division steps
- Divide. How many times does the divisor go into this part?
- Multiply. Write the product under it.
- Subtract. Find what is left.
- Bring down. Bring down the next digit and start again.
More practice
Division facts come first: the times tables worksheets include division facts. For multiplying big numbers, see long multiplication.Provincial curriculum links
- ON Grade 4Students begin dividing 2- and 3-digit whole numbers by a 1-digit whole number.
- BC Grade 4Dividing two- or three-digit numbers by one-digit numbers, using flexible strategies.
- BC Grade 5Division to three digits, including division with remainders.
BC’s curriculum emphasizes flexible strategies and the link between multiplication and division rather than naming one written method. The traditional long division layout on these sheets is one way to record that thinking, and many classes reach it after sharing and grouping with base-ten blocks.
The 2- and 3-digit sheets without remainders match Grade 4 in both Ontario and BC; remainders fit BC’s Grade 5. Four-digit problems go beyond BC’s Grade 5 range, so treat them as extension work. Ask students to explain what a remainder means in a story problem: 47 students in buses of 9 needs 6 buses, not 5 R2.
Summarized in our own words from Ontario’s overview of The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Mathematics (2020) and the BC Mathematics curriculum (Grades 4–5).
