How to remember division words (2024)

It’s hard to remember the meaning for divisor, dividend, quotient. I’ve come up with rhymes and pictures to simplify the vocabulary and make it easy to recall.

It’s hard for students to remember which is which. Try this rhyme to memorize the definition of “Quotient”.
Quotient – “Kwo-shunt”
What a funny word,
The answer to division
Isn’t that absurd?

“Divisor” and “Dividend” are similar and often mixed-up. Analyze the words. How are they different? One has a short word, “or” at the end. The other has a longer word “end”. The shorter word, “divisor” is always on the outside of the bracket trying to get in. The larger number, “dividend” is inside waiting to be divided. More math memory ideas can be found in my Memory Tips for Math book.

Visual learners need to draw the division bracket and insert the words in the correct spots in order to remember. Audio learners learn by explaining the words aloud to other students. For kinesthetic learners, draw a large division bracket low on the whiteboard. Make 3 papers with the words divisor, dividend and quotient. The child places the signs in the correct placesusing tape. They can also clap out the rhyme for the word ‘quotient’. The clapping activity is beneficial to the kinesthetic learner.

Being aware of children’s learning styles makes a big difference in their retention of information. At the beginning of the year, I like to watch my students, ask questions, and determine their chief learning style.