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How to Use Candy to Teach Division

Division can be a difficult topic for students to understand when they are first introduced to it. To make it easier, capture their attention with candy to create a tangible, edible demonstration of the principles of division. Dividing groups of candy helps students understand the concepts of basic division, factorization and remainders. If no school rules prohibit it, reward children who perform well by letting them eat their remainders. Check for allergies before letting children handle or eat any foods.

Things You'll Need

  • Candy
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Instructions

    • 1

      Give each student 24 pieces of candy. Tell them not to eat any until you give the word. Have students count their candies before they continue.

    • 2

      Ask each child to divide his candy into four equal groups. Choose a volunteer to tell you how many pieces ended up in each group. Teach the students that this illustrates how division works. Dividing a big number, such as 24, into a number of groups, such as four, shows how many pieces of candy are in each group.

    • 3

      Practice dividing again, splitting the large group of 24 candies into three, six, two or eight equal groups. Call on different students to give them a chance to share their results.

    • 4

      Ask students to divide their piles into groups of seven. When they find that they cannot complete the last pile, explain that the leftover pieces are called a remainder. Tell them to try dividing their candies in different ways to find another number that gives a remainder. Give individual guidance as needed. Reward students for their efforts by letting them eat a piece of candy.

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