Use equal groups and arrays to solve division word problems: Example question
31 October 2026
When your child sees a division word problem, it can help to break it down using equal groups and arrays. This method makes sharing objects into groups much clearer for children under 11.
Example question
There are 24 apples. They are put into 4 equal baskets. How many apples are in each basket?
Step 1: Understand the problem
We have 24 apples in total. They are shared equally into 4 baskets. We want to find out how many apples are in one basket.
Step 2: Use equal groups
We can think of 24 apples as 4 equal groups. Each group is one basket.
Step 3: Divide to find the number in each group Divide 24 by 4: 24 ÷ 4 = 6
Step 4: Use an array to check
Draw 4 rows (for baskets) with 6 apples in each row:
🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
Step 5: Conclusion
Each basket has 6 apples.
Answer: 6 apples in each basket.
Key insight: By using equal groups and drawing arrays, your child can see exactly how division works in real life. Now they can spot and solve similar word problems with confidence.
