Why fractions

That way fractions become something concrete to the student, and not just a number on top of another without a meaning. The student will be able to estimate the answer before calculating, evaluate the reasonableness of the final answer, and perform many of the simplest operations mentally without knowingly applying any "rule. Now, typical textbooks DO show visual models for fractions, and they DO show one or two examples of how a certain rule connects with a picture.

But that is not enough! We need to have children solve lots of problems using either visual models or fraction manipulatives. Another way is to ask them to DRAW fraction pictures for the problems. That way the students will form a mental visual model and can think through the pictures. For example, this video shows a visual method for equivalent fractions: that of splitting the pieces further into a certain number of new pieces:. If you think through pictures , you will easily see the need for multiplying or dividing both the numerator and denominator by the same number.

But before voicing that rule, it is better that children get lots of 'hands-on' experiences with fraction pictures they draw themselves. They can even have fun splitting the pieces further or conversely merging pieces together. They may find the rule themselves even - and it will make sense. If they forget the rule later, they can always fall back to thinking about splitting the pieces and re-discover it. Another example is the topic of adding unlike fractions see video.

The teacher can show how the pieces in the fractions need to be split further so that they all are the same kind of pieces—and then you can add. At first say in 4th grade , you don't need to discuss the "least common denominator".

From cooking and carpentry to sports and sewing, we can't escape fractions in our daily lives. This isn't a new topic of discussion. In fact, in , an article in the Wall Street Journal talked about what parents and teachers already know when it comes to math—fractions are hard for many students to learn. As many students struggle to learn fractions, which usually are taught in third or fourth grade, the government is actually funding research into how to help kids learn fractions.

Instead of using rote methods to teach fractions or relying on old techniques such as pie charts, the newer methods of teaching fractions use techniques to help kids really understand what fractions mean through number lines or models. For example, the educational company, Brain Pop , offers animated lessons and homework help to aid kids in understanding concepts in math and in other subjects. Their Battleship Numberline allows kids to bomb a battleship using fractions between 0 and 1, and after students play this game, their teachers have found that the students' intuitive knowledge of fractions increases.

Other techniques to teach fractions include cutting paper into thirds or sevenths to see which fraction is bigger and what denominators mean. Using number lines helps kids compare different fractions—something that is hard for them to do with traditional pie charts, in which a pie divided into pieces.

For example, a pie divided into sixths can look a lot like a pie divided into sevenths. In addition, the newer approaches emphasize understanding how to compare fractions before students go on to learn procedures such as adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying fractions. In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal article, placing fractions on a number line in the correct order in third grade is a more important predictor of fourth-grade math performance than calculation skills or even the ability to pay attention.

In fact, some experts regard the understanding of fractions as the door to later math learning, and as the foundation of more advanced math and science classes such as algebra , geometry , statistics , chemistry , and physics. Math concepts such as fractions that students do not master in the early grades can go on to confuse them later on and to cause them a great deal of math anxiety.

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She always makes everything happen. The instructors are great and my kids are doing phenomenal. Mathnasium is amazing Report a concern. June 4, Ibana Escacena Pundit. Who created decimals? Xueying Goxenetxea Pundit. Who invented percentage? No one person invented percentages. The concept developed throughout history. In Ancient Rome mathematical computation were expressed in fractions of This concept later evolved into percentages.

Anira Clements Teacher. Who first used fractions? The earliest fractions were reciprocals of integers: ancient symbols representing one part of two, one part of three, one part of four, and so on. The Egyptians used Egyptian fractions c. About years ago, Egyptians divided with fractions using slightly different methods. Gazmira Albarracin Teacher. Can fractions be negative? Meryama Hinnecke Teacher. Who invented zero? Berenguela Meira Beginner. What is a fraction for kids?

Glossary and Terms: Fractions. Fraction - A part of a whole. A common fraction is made up of a numerator and a denominator. The numerator is shown on top of a line and is the number of parts of the whole. The denominator is shown below the line and is the number of parts by which the whole has been divided.

Najoua Ilyuhin Beginner. What is a mixed fraction?