Division is the most difficult mental operation among the four basic arithmetic operationsbut the discipline and mastery of it provides an educational bridge from arithmetic to number theory and algebra. To make it simpler for the students to understand the concept of division, we devised a working model of division.
In this division machine we have four sections: Dividend, Divisor, Quotient and Remainder.
Working: The student is asked to choose a problem card and put in problem box and sticks are put in the holes on dividend section to indicate the dividend. Then according to the divisor indicated on problem card, the sticks are taken out in equal groups placed in the dividend holes and put in Quotient cups. The number on the last cup gives us the quotient and the number of sticks left in dividend holes (if any) gives us the Remainder.