What the actual fork have they done to maths?!

[vetran]

That's not long division, just division.

Long division is 9829 / 71 - or when both numbers in the sum are more than one digit long and usually more (or greater than the highest multiplication table you already know). Same technique though, just takes a bit longer

I think many of us had forgotten the distinction as once you understand both the name is only of interest to teachers. I think SM has a point there is an obsession with renaming stuff.

[Old Greg]

All answers on the side of a bus, please.

[d000hg]

It's quite interesting, when I was a kid I was taught "this is how you do multiplication, this is how you do division, etc". Now teachers can teach different methods based on what their kids find more intuitive, on the basis that the important thing is having a way you can use efficiently.

[DimPrawn]

All answers on the side of a bus, please.

28 - 1 = 350,000,000

[WTFH]

I have always been rubbish at long division. How does this method work?

You wait half an hour for a division, then 3 come along at once.

[NotAllThere]

Ability to do long division is useful for factorising equations - which in turn can help with differentiation or integration.

Short division is piss easy if you've learned your times tables off by heart from 1 to 12. No need for any subtractions or anything (at least, not to write down).

8729/7
7 goes into 8 once, so write down 1 
put the remainder 1 next to the 7 ->17
7 goes into 17 twice, so write down 2
put the remainder 3 next to the 2 -> 32
7 goes into 32 four times, so write down 4
put the remainder 4 next to the 9 -> 49
7 goes into 49 seven times, so write down 7.
No remainder, so we're done.
1247.

[LondonManc]

Ability to do long division is useful for factorising equations - which in turn can help with differentiation or integration.

Short division is piss easy if you've learned your times tables off by heart from 1 to 12. No need for any subtractions or anything (at least, not to write down).

8729/7
7 goes into 8 once, so write down 1 
put the remainder 1 next to the 7 ->17
7 goes into 17 twice, so write down 2
put the remainder 3 next to the 2 -> 32
7 goes into 32 four times, so write down 4
put the remainder 4 next to the 9 -> 49
7 goes into 49 seven times, so write down 7.
No remainder, so we're done.
1247.

This. Long division I learned in a similar way.

But back then teachers were like "ooh, you'll not always have a calculator with you."

Your move Mrs Simpson....

[Lance]

My son is in Year 6 and I think in old money it would be called long division but I have just been shown "the bus stop method" and although it works, it just seems crazy!

daughter in year 4.
Doing place value tables, which is OK.
Then we did partitioning, which relies on knowledge of place value tables so pointless.

She hates division but is OK at nmost stuff. As was I when I was young.
I keep telling her that once she's learned the method she can use a calculator and never do it again. As I did some years ago.

[ladymuck]

daughter in year 4.
Doing place value tables, which is OK.
Then we did partitioning, which relies on knowledge of place value tables so pointless.

She hates division but is OK at nmost stuff. As was I when I was young.
I keep telling her that once she's learned the method she can use a calculator and never do it again. As I did some years ago.

That's the key to it - there will always be a time when you just need to know enough to sense check a number (and not necessarily accurately) without getting a calculator out. If you have a rough idea of the basic maths then many things in life will be a lot easier.

[northernladuk]

Don't they just stick them in the tuck shop after learning their 8 times table anymore? Crisps and chocolate bars at 8p a time means we learnt adding up and taking away and money management skills as well.

Made me the man I am.