Developing Effective Fractions Instruction for Kindergarten Through 8th Grade This Practice Guide, developed by an expert panel convened by the Institute of Education Sciences, provides five research-based recommendations for improving students’ understanding of fractions and rational numbers. Each recommendation includes a summary of the research evidence and a level of evidence rating. This Practice Guide is the foundation for the Doing What Works content on fraction instruction, which merges the five recommendations into four practices.
Multimedia Overview Developing Effective Fractions Instruction for K-8
The National Mathematics Advisory Panel and the Common Core State Standards emphasize the importance of rational numbers. Watch this multimedia overview to learn why and to receive an introduction to the recommendations on effective fractions instruction in elementary and middle school, including the needed support and training for teachers. (6:31 min)Explore these recommended practices:
- <<Initial Fraction Concepts
Build basic fraction concepts from students’ informal understandings of sharing and proportion. - <<Fractions as Numbers
Use number lines to develop student understanding of fractions as numbers. - <<Operations With Fractions
Help students understand why computational procedures with fractions make sense. - <<Ratio, Rate, Proportion
Develop understanding of proportional relationships before teaching computational procedures.
Visual Diagram Fractions Instruction
This diagram serves as a visual overview of the recommended instructional practices for teaching fractions in elementary and middle school, along with information on the knowledge teachers need to teach fractions effectively. Use this diagram to initiate discussions with teachers about how students’ understanding of fractions develops.Expert Interview
The Importance of Fractions Instruction
Robert S. Siegler, Ph.D.Carnegie Mellon University
Dr. Robert Siegler discusses why competence with fractions is critical for more advanced math and why U.S. students have difficulty grasping fractions. He also describes the developmental sequence that grounds learning about fractions in a solid base of conceptual understanding. (5:36 min)
Expert Interview
What Teachers Need to Know About Teaching Fractions
Francis (Skip) Fennell, Ph.D.McDaniel College
Dr. Francis “Skip” Fennell describes the knowledge teachers need to teach fractions effectively, paying special attention to multiple strategies for representing problems involving fractions. He discusses the convergence of curriculum and explores why students and teachers have difficulty with certain fraction concepts. (6:32 min)