Linked Questions
10 questions linked to/from Why do some students struggle so much with fractions?
45
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How to explain the flipping of division by a fraction?
This question is inspired by @DavidButlerUofA's discussion of
"$\div \frac{2}{3}$ as $\times \frac{3}{2}$" in
"Are fractions hard because they are like algebra?"
Q. How can one best convey to ...
- 28.8k
17
votes
8
answers
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What is the right feedback for incorrect cancellation?
Here are three "cancellations" seen during algebra simplification, two of which are invalid.
(1) $\frac{x + 6}{6} = \frac{x+6\hspace-1.2ex\diagup}{6\hspace-1.2ex\diagup} = x$
(2) $\frac{6x ...
- 20.4k
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4
answers
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Books about elementary mathematics written like a good undergraduate textbook
I've never seen any really good expositions of elementary mathematics (middle school or earlier). A good college-level textbook, written for people with an interest in mathematics, reads like a novel ...
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7
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10
answers
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How to explain fractions to 7 year old kid
I am finding it difficult to convince my kid that 2/4 and 1/2 are same. As per the kid, 2/4 is more than 1/2 since in first case the boy gets 2 candies out of 4 and in second case he gets 1 candy out ...
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votes
8
answers
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How to teach sum of fractions to students?
I think almost every middle school student in my country has learned sum of two fractions in this non reflexive way (I'm included when I was kid), doing the following steps:
They calculate the lcm.
...
- 573
17
votes
4
answers
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Are fractions hard because they are like algebra?
It occurs to me that to really understand the ways that people work with fractions on paper requires a good grasp of the ideas that numbers have multiple representations and that expressions can be ...
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13
votes
4
answers
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Analyzing an answer to the following problem: Give meaning to $\frac{4}{5} + \frac{2}{3}$
Case:
Exam Problem given to student at university: Give a problem/context illustrating the operation $\frac{4}{5} + \frac{2}{3}$
Answer by student: Anna and Beatrice buy flowers for grandpa for his ...
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6
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6
answers
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What are the essential mathematics skills that uni based STEM math educators want high school to teach students?
The question in the title mostly covers the question I want to ask. After seeing a number of questions here on ME and having taught/TA'd a number of introductory math classes, I wonder what people ...
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11
votes
3
answers
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How to engage low-level students?
I'm a recent graduate in my first year of teaching. I teach secondary students, and I have found that some low-level students are not listening in class. They seem to have given up and stopped trying. ...
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3
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Is it possible to understand decimals without understanding fractions?
It is common for students to come unstuck by there inability to manipulate fractions (eg calculating gradients, algebraic fractions, etc) yet these same students can handle decimal numbers competently....
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