Share equally
12 counters → 3 equal groups → 4 in each
Put 12 counters into three groups, dealing one counter to each group in turn. Each group ends with four counters. Here, 3 tells us the number of groups and 4 tells us the size of each group.
Primary Maths • Years 0–6
Division Resources
Share, group and connect division with multiplication.
Maths at a glance
See the idea
Equal sharing12 shared by 3
Number sentence12 ÷ 3 = 4
Fact family24 ÷ 6 = 4
Larger numbers95 ÷ 4
Two meanings of division, one answer
What does 12 ÷ 3 = 4 tell us?
Make groups of three
12 counters → groups of 3 → 4 groups
Start again with 12 counters. Take three at a time to make a group. You can make four groups. Here, 3 tells us the size of each group and 4 tells us how many groups we can make.
Check with multiplication
4 × 3 = 12, so 12 ÷ 3 = 4
Four groups of three rebuild the original total of 12. Ask learners to explain which number is the total, which is the group size and which is the number of groups.
Try it with your learner
Try 20 ÷ 5 using both sharing and grouping. Both give 4, but the four means a different thing in each story. Then try 14 ÷ 3 with whole counters: there are four in each group and two left over when sharing among three groups.
A common mistake to discuss
Division is not commutative: swapping the numbers changes the question. Sharing 12 objects among 3 people is different from sharing 3 objects among 12 people. Keep the total first in the division sentence.
Choose a next step:
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Learning pathway
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Key skills
What learners practise
sharing a quantity equallyfinding how many equal groups can be madeconnecting division and multiplication fact familiesusing arrays and equal-group diagramsinterpreting remainders in contextdividing larger numbers using place value
Teaching tips
- Ask both “How many in each group?” and “How many groups?” so learners meet both division structures.
- Write related multiplication and division facts together to show how one undoes the other.
- Talk about what the remainder means in the problem. Do you need to share it, leave it or round up?
Ready to practise?
Open the Year 0–6 lesson pathway.