Set up the division problem. Draw a short vertical line, about the size of a letter or number. At the top of this line, draw a slightly longer horizontal line extending to the right. Essentially, you've created half of a rectangle. Write the dividend inside this half rectangle, so that it is underneath the horizontal line and to the right of the vertical line. To the left of the vertical line, write the divisor.
Compare the divisor to the portions of the dividend. Determine whether the divisor is larger than the dividend's left-most digit. If it is, determine whether it is larger than the first two digits of the dividend. If the divisor is still larger than the dividend's first two digits, see if it is larger than the first three digits. If necessary, continue in this manner until you've isolated the number of digits in the dividend that make it larger than the divisor. For instance, consider the problem 329 ÷ 14. Here, 14 is larger than the dividend's left-most digit, 3. So, check to see if it is larger than the dividend's first two digits, 32. Since 14 is smaller than 32, there is no need to compare any additional digits, and you are ready to start dividing.
Determine how many times the divisor multiplies into the specified number of digits of the dividend as determined in Step 2, and write this quantity on top of the horizontal line. In the example, determine how many times 14 goes into 32. Since 14 goes into 32 two times, write a "2" above the horizontal line.
Multiply the divisor by this number. In the example, multiply 14 times 2, obtaining 28. Write this result underneath the dividend, aligning it according to place value so that the digit in the divisor's "ones" place appears directly underneath the digit in the dividend's "ones" place, and so on. In the example, write a 28 directly below the 32.
Subtract these numbers. In the example, 32 - 28 = 4. Write this result below the number being subtracted; in this case, write a 4 below the 28.
Copy the dividend's next digit to the right of the number produced in Step 5. In the example, write a 9 to the right of the 4, creating the number 49.
Repeat steps 3 through 6 until no digits remain in the dividend. For instance, in the example, determine how many times 14 multiplies into 49. It multiplies into 49 three times, so write a 3 above the horizontal line, to the right of the 2 that is already there, forming the number 23. Multiply 14 by 3 to get 42, then subtract 42 from 49, obtaining 7. No digits remain in the dividend, so something else is going to have to be done with that 7, which is called a remainder.
Take any remainder and write it to the right of the number sitting on the horizontal line, preceded by the letter "r," which stands for "remainder." For instance, the example becomes "23 r 7." Alternatively, convert the remainder to a fraction by placing it above the divisor and reducing to lowest terms. In the example, 7/14 reduces to 1/2, making the solution 23 1/2.