I just want to promote in this post James Tanton’s latest pamphlet on fractions. It’s FREE for download. Just click Pamphlet on Fractions. Tanton writes:
If fractions are pieces of pie, then what does the multiplication of fractions mean? (You can’t multiply pie!)
If fractions are proportions, then what are their units? Amount of pie per student (and not just pie)?
If fractions are points on the number line, then what does half a pie mean?Fractions are slippery and tricky and, in the end, abstract. It is actually unfair to expect students to have a good grasp of fractions during their middle-school and high-school years. This pamphlet explains why, and offers the means to have an honest conversation with students as to why this is the case. Their confusion and haziness about them is well founded!
What do you say about the statement I highlighted above? What a relief to know that? 🙂
I highly recommend that you also checkout his collection of past MATH ESSAYS.
You may also want to read a couple of my posts on fractions:
- Why do we ‘invert’ the divisor in division of fractions
- What are fractions and what does it mean to understand them?
Exellent pamphlet on fractions.Thanks