Going over my son?s arithmetic homework I came across a curious item concerning long division (division larga).
In the US we place the divisor (divisor) first followed by a parentheses (par?ntesis) and the vinculum (v?nculo) is placed over the dividend (dividendo). We then do the proverbial divide, multiply, subtract, bring down and repeat if necessary and the quotient (cociente) is place over the vinculum.
Here in the DR they are taught to place the dividend first followed by the parentheses and then the divisor. The vinculum is then placed under the divisor. The typical long division operation is then performed on the left and the quotient is placed below the divisor and vinculum.
The problem with this, as I see it, is that after the student has performed the multiplication, subtraction and carry down operations the excess of numerals are jumbled together with the quotient and therefore making it difficult to distinguish the quotient from the calculations.
The US way with the divisor first has a tendency to show the divisor ?going into? the dividend that is in the box formed by the parentheses and vinculum ie., 3 into 9. With the calculations below the dividend and the lone quotient placed above the vinculum it is very easy to distinguish the answer to the problem at quick glance.
I spent three hours researching this on my computer and all examples in both English and Spanish that I could find show the vinculum above the dividend and not below.
For those of you that have attended school in other countries I ask you. Is this way of doing long division, as I have explained it is done here in the DR, the way you were taught? What is your output on this?
Rick
In the US we place the divisor (divisor) first followed by a parentheses (par?ntesis) and the vinculum (v?nculo) is placed over the dividend (dividendo). We then do the proverbial divide, multiply, subtract, bring down and repeat if necessary and the quotient (cociente) is place over the vinculum.
Here in the DR they are taught to place the dividend first followed by the parentheses and then the divisor. The vinculum is then placed under the divisor. The typical long division operation is then performed on the left and the quotient is placed below the divisor and vinculum.
The problem with this, as I see it, is that after the student has performed the multiplication, subtraction and carry down operations the excess of numerals are jumbled together with the quotient and therefore making it difficult to distinguish the quotient from the calculations.
The US way with the divisor first has a tendency to show the divisor ?going into? the dividend that is in the box formed by the parentheses and vinculum ie., 3 into 9. With the calculations below the dividend and the lone quotient placed above the vinculum it is very easy to distinguish the answer to the problem at quick glance.
I spent three hours researching this on my computer and all examples in both English and Spanish that I could find show the vinculum above the dividend and not below.
For those of you that have attended school in other countries I ask you. Is this way of doing long division, as I have explained it is done here in the DR, the way you were taught? What is your output on this?
Rick