Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Dividing by 8 Worksheet for Year 3 (Free Printable)
- ForYear 3 (Free Printable)
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Dividing by 8 is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). It has 18 questions in three steps, then a challenge question. Children practise dividing by 8 and use what they know about the 8 times table. 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 answer 18 numbered questions in three steps, with space to write each answer. They practise dividing by 8 and use what they know of the 8 times table to help them. A challenge question at the end gives confident children something extra to think about. Page 2 is for the grown-up and has every answer, so you can check together.
Ways to work out a division by 8
Use counters
Count out the total. Share the counters into groups of 8 and count the groups. Or deal them out one at a time between 8 piles and see how many are in each pile.
Use the 8 times table
Division undoes multiplication. Ask, "8 multiplied by what number makes this total?" That number is the answer.
Skip count in eights
Count in eights on your fingers or a number line. Keep a tally of how many jumps it takes to reach the total.
Halve three times
8 is 2 × 2 × 2. Halving a number, then halving again, then halving once more is the same as dividing by 8. This works well when the numbers are even each time.
What does dividing by 8 mean?
Division has two meanings, and both matter. Sharing means taking a total and splitting it equally between 8 people or 8 piles, so each gets the same amount. Grouping means putting a total into groups of 8 and counting how many groups there are. The calculation is written the same way, but the story you picture is different. Knowing both helps children choose a method that makes sense.
Division is closely linked to multiplication. If children know their 8 times table, they can use it backwards to divide. The 8 times table is also linked to the 4 times table, because every answer in the 8s is double the matching answer in the 4s. In Year 3, children are expected to recall and use these facts, so regular short practice helps them become quick and confident.
Skills and curriculum link
- Division facts for the 8 times table
- Times table recall
- Sharing equally
- Grouping
- Using multiplication to divide
- Explaining your thinking
Helpful ideas for dividing by 8
- Division undoes multiplicationMultiplication and division are inverses. If a child knows an 8 times table fact, they also know two division facts from it.
- Doubling and halvingThe 8 times table is double the 4 times table, and the 4s are double the 2s. Children can use a table they know well to build one they find harder.
- Sharing and groupingDividing can mean sharing equally into 8 parts, or making groups of 8 and counting them. Try both with counters to see they link.
- Skip counting in eightsCounting in steps of 8 gives the multiples of 8 in order. Counting how many steps it takes to reach a number is another way to divide.
Key words
- DivideSplit a number into equal parts or equal groups.
- Share equallyGive out an amount so that everyone gets the same.
- GroupA set of things put together. Dividing by 8 can mean making groups of 8.
- MultipleA number in a times table. The multiples of 8 are 8, 16, 24 and so on.
- Times tableA list of multiplication facts for one number, such as the 8 times table.
- InverseThe opposite operation. Division is the inverse of multiplication.
How to use it
- Print both pages on A4. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the answers and notes.
- Work through the first few questions together. Ask your child to say what they are being asked to do before they write anything.
- Let them choose how to work out each answer: counters, skip counting, the 8 times table or a drawing.
- Check against the answers on page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" The thinking matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and try any questions that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use counters. Count out the total and share them into groups of 8, then count the groups. Say the 8 times table aloud first, or keep a times table strip beside the sheet. Try the first few questions only, 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 their answers by multiplying back, to see that each division and multiplication fact fits together.
Make it a game
Write multiples of 8 on small slips of paper and put them in a bag. Take turns to pick a slip and say the matching division by 8 fact aloud. A correct answer wins a point. Check with counters if players disagree.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child divides by 4 or another number because the tables get mixed up.
Try thisUnderline the number you are dividing by before starting. Say it aloud: "I am dividing by 8." Keep an 8 times table strip beside the sheet.
Watch forA child counts the counters in a group but not the number of groups, so the answer is wrong.
Try thisMake groups of 8 with a loop of string around each one. Then count the loops, not the counters.
Watch forA child answers with the number they started with, or with 8, instead of the answer to the division.
Try thisAsk what the question is finding out. Read it as a story, such as "how many groups of 8 can I make?", and check with multiplication.
Talk about it
- How do you know your answer is right? Can you check it another way?
- Which times table fact helped you most?
- How is dividing by 8 like dividing by 4?
- Can you explain the difference between sharing and grouping?
- Which question was the trickiest, and what did you try?
- Can you make up a division story about something you like?
Take it off the page
Fold and halve
Take a long strip of paper. Fold it in half, then in half again, then in half once more. Open it up and count the equal parts. Talk about what you have just done to the strip.
Eights on the pavement
Use chalk to draw a number line outside. Jump in steps of 8 and say each number aloud. Count how many jumps it takes to reach a number you choose.
Sharing with small things
Use buttons, pasta shapes or building bricks. Share them equally between 8 cups, then count how many are in each cup. Try again with a different total.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first few questions, then let them lead. Short bursts work better than a long session. Praise effort and thinking, and use counters if they get stuck.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has answers, support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and it links to the Year 3 multiplication and division facts strand.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan, or for revision. It pairs well with counters, skip counting outdoors and everyday sharing. You can print it again for brothers and sisters.
Where this fits in maths
Before this sheet, children learn to count in steps and to recall the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. They also learn that division means sharing equally or grouping. Knowing the 4 times table helps a lot, because the 8s are double the 4s.
After this sheet, children move on to the remaining times tables. By Year 4 they are expected to know multiplication and division facts up to 12 × 12. Fluent division facts also prepare children for written methods of division in later years.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Dividing by 8 for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. It matches the Year 3 strand on recalling and using multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 times tables.
- What will children practise?
Children practise dividing by 8 using short, focused questions. They use times table facts, sharing and grouping. There are 18 questions in three steps, then a challenge question for children who are ready for more.
- How do I use the worksheet?
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 questions together, then let your child try alone and check afterwards.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use counters. Count out the total, share them into groups of 8 and count the groups. Keep an 8 times table strip beside the sheet, and try a few questions at a time before coming back to the rest.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision a few weeks later.
- 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 includes answers and ideas for support and stretch.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. It is also a screen free activity that needs only paper and a pencil.
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.