Divisor Doesn’t Fit

Ages 10–12 · 13 minutes · Math

Team up digits when the divisor doesn't fit!

This lesson tackles one of the trickiest moments in long division: what to do when the divisor doesn't fit the first digit of the dividend. Students join Commander Zola on a cargo mission, dividing supplies evenly among bays, where the first digit alone is never enough to divide. This forces students to combine the first two digits before starting the long division cycle. The goal is for students to recognize, on sight, when a digit is "too small" for the divisor and know exactly what to do about it.