Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Dividing by 4 Worksheet for Year 3 (Free Printable)
- ForYear 3 (Free Printable)
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Dividing by 4 Worksheet is a free printable maths sheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). It has 18 questions in three steps, then a challenge question. Children practise division and times table facts, with the 4 times table at the heart of the topic. Page 2 gives the grown-up the answers, help ideas and a stretch task.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages on A4, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children work through 18 numbered questions in three steps, then try a challenge question at the end. There is space to write each answer on the page. The sheet practises division and times table facts, and it matches the Year 3 aim of recalling the 3, 4 and 8 tables. Counters can help children who like to see the sharing.
A worked example
Share 44 counters equally into 4 groups. How many counters are in each group?
This is our own example, made up to show how children can think. It shows three ways to work out a division by 4.
Method 1: use a times table fact- Ask, "4 times what makes 44?"
- Use what you know: 4 × 10 = 40. That leaves 4 more.
- 4 × 1 = 4, so 4 × 11 = 44.
- So 44 ÷ 4 = 11.
- Dividing by 4 is the same as halving twice.
- Half of 44 is 22.
- Half of 22 is 11.
- Split 44 into 4 tens and 4 ones.
- Share the 4 tens into 4 groups. Each group gets 1 ten.
- Share the 4 ones into 4 groups. Each group gets 1 one.
- Each group has 1 ten and 1 one, which is 11.
Ways to build the 4 times table
Count in fours
Count forwards in steps of 4 out loud, then try counting back. Use a number line or a hundred square and mark each jump. Counting in steps helps children see how multiples are spaced.
Double and double again
Multiplying by 4 is the same as doubling twice. Children who know their doubles can use them to build 4 times table facts, and then work backwards to divide.
Link multiplication and division
Say each fact as a family. If 4 × 6 = 24, then 24 ÷ 4 = 6 and 24 ÷ 6 = 4. One fact gives children several.
Use counters
Lay out a number of counters and deal them into 4 groups, one at a time. Count how many are in each group. Seeing the sharing makes the idea concrete.
Why dividing by 4 matters in Year 3
Division has two meanings. It can mean sharing equally, such as dealing sweets into 4 bags. It can also mean grouping, such as counting how many groups of 4 fit into a number. Children meet both ideas in Year 3, and being able to move between them makes word problems much easier to understand.
Division is the opposite of multiplication, so every times table fact is also a division fact. That is why the National Curriculum asks children to recall multiplication and division facts together. The 4 times table is a helpful one to learn because it links to doubling. Doubling a number twice multiplies it by 4, and halving twice divides by 4.
Skills and curriculum link
- Dividing by 4
- Times table recall
- Sharing equally
- Grouping
- Multiplication and division links
Ideas that help with dividing by 4
- Division is the opposite of multiplicationIf you know a times table fact, you can turn it round to make a division fact. Checking an answer by multiplying shows whether it is right.
- Halve and halve againDividing by 4 gives the same result as halving a number and then halving the result. This works well when the number is easy to halve.
- Sharing and groupingDividing can mean sharing into 4 equal groups or counting how many groups of 4 fit. Both give the same answer, so children can pick the one that makes sense.
- Use what you already knowThe 4 times table connects to the 2 times table and to doubling. Starting from a fact a child knows is often quicker than counting from the beginning.
Key words
- DivideTo share or group a number into equal parts.
- Share equallyGive the same amount to each group, with none left unfairly.
- GroupA set of items put together. Dividing can mean making groups of the same size.
- Multiplication factA times table fact, such as 4 times a number. Each one links to a division fact.
- Opposite operationA calculation that undoes another. Division undoes multiplication.
- HalveDivide by 2, or share into 2 equal parts.
How to use it
- Print both pages on A4. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and the answers.
- Do the first few questions together. Ask your child to say what the question is asking before they answer.
- Let them choose how to work: counters, counting in fours, a drawing or a times table fact. There is no single right method.
- Check against page 2 together. Ask, "How did you work that out?" The thinking matters as much as the answer.
- Come back to it another day and redo any questions that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use counters. Share them into groups of 4 and count the groups. Say the times table fact out loud as you go, then turn it round into a division fact. Start with the first few questions and come back to the rest later.
To stretch confident children
Try the challenge question at the end. Then write three similar questions of your own for a friend to answer. Check your friend's answers by multiplying back, and explain how you made your questions.
Make it a game
Race the clock. Set a timer, work through the questions and count how many you get right. Next time, try to beat your own score. Check each answer by multiplying it back by 4.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child divides by the wrong number, such as 3 or 8, because the tables look alike.
Try thisRead the question aloud and point to the 4. Say the 4 times table fact first, then turn it round.
Watch forA child takes 4 away once instead of sharing into 4 groups.
Try thisUse counters and deal them out one at a time into 4 groups. Explain that dividing means equal groups, not taking away once.
Watch forA child gives the number of groups when the question asks for the size of each group.
Try thisReread the question together. Ask, "Are we finding how many groups, or how many in each group?" Draw it to check.
Talk about it
- How do you know which times table fact to use?
- Can you explain dividing by 4 without using the word divide?
- What happens if you halve a number and then halve it again?
- How can multiplying help you check a division answer?
- Which question felt easiest and why?
- What would you tell a friend who finds dividing by 4 hard?
Take it off the page
Sharing snack time
Use dry pasta, buttons or coins as counters. Share a pile into 4 equal cups and count what is in each. Ask your child to predict first.
Fours hop
Draw a line of chalk marks outside and hop along in steps of 4 while counting out loud. Then hop back. This builds the rhythm of the 4 times table.
Make a fact family
Write a times table fact on a piece of paper. Ask your child to write the other facts that go with it, including the division ones.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first few questions, then let them lead. Short sessions work better than long ones. If they get stuck, bring out counters and share them into 4 groups together.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs only printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and it fits the Year 3 aim of recalling the 3, 4 and 8 tables.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan and pair it with counters, everyday sharing and times table chanting. Print it again for brothers and sisters, or use it for revision a few weeks later.
Where dividing by 4 fits
Before this, children learn to share and group objects, and to recall the 2, 5 and 10 times tables in Year 2. Doubling and halving are also useful starting points, because the 4 times table is built on them.
In Year 3, the 3, 4 and 8 tables are taught together, and schools may take them in different orders. The 8 table is double the 4 table, so the two support each other. In Year 4, children go on to recall multiplication and division facts up to 12 × 12.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is the Dividing by 4 Worksheet for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8) in Key Stage 2. It matches the Year 3 aim of recalling multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 tables.
- How many questions are on the sheet?
There are 18 questions in three steps, followed by a challenge question. There is space on the page to write each answer, and page 2 has the full answers for the adult.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages on A4. Give page 1 to the child and keep page 2, which has every answer, for the adult. Work through the first few questions together, then let the child try alone.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use counters. Share them into groups of 4 and count the groups. Say the times table fact out loud, then turn it round into a division fact. Try a few questions at a time and return later.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters, other pupils or revision, and black and white printing works well.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas.
- Can I use it for home education?
Yes. Home educators and tutors can use it on its own or as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with counters, everyday sharing and times table practice.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.