In this study, we investigated the learning of mathematical rules in the context of the classroom, emphasizing, primarily, the discussions about language. Our main goal was to investigate the linguistic difficulties, faced by students during the learning of mathematical rules, in particular, the concept / division algorithm. To this end, we discuss, among other things, the theme "following rules" proposed by the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein in his Philosophical Investigations. Our work and our analysis were based primarily on this author, who discusses, among other themes, language and their meaning and foundations of mathematics, as well as the reflections of philosopher Gilles-Gaston Granger who analyzes the formal languages. We conducted a field survey that was developed at the “school of pedagogical application” of the Federal University of Pará, in a class of fourth grade. The lessons taught by the classroom teacher was observed and later the students were asked to solve division problems, verbal and nonverbal, followed by a brief interview in which we ask, among other issues, how students solve problems involving the division. In our analysis we highlight some students' difficulties, perceived in observations and in their written records or oral: some students, in its resolution strategies, invent new “mathematical rules". There are still those who "confuse" the contexts in solving verbal mathematical problems as well as the difficulty of understanding the problems that bring implicit information.
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