Fractions Learning in Children With Mathematics Difficulties

Abstract

Learning fractions is difficult for children in general and especially difficult for children with mathematics difficulties (MD). Recent research on developmental and individual differences in fraction knowledge of children with MD and typically achieving (TA) children has demonstrated that U.S. children with MD start middle school behind their TA peers in fraction understanding and fall further behind during middle school. In contrast, Chinese children, who like the MD children in the United States score in the bottom one third of the distribution in their country, possess reasonably good fraction understanding. We interpret these findings within the framework of the integrated theory of numerical development. By emphasizing the importance of fraction magnitude knowledge for numerical understanding in general, the theory proved useful for understanding differences in fraction knowledge between MD and TA children and for understanding how knowledge can be improved. Several interventions demonstrated the possibility of improving fraction magnitude knowledge and producing benefits that generalize to fraction arithmetic learning among children with MD. The reasonably good fraction understanding of Chinese children with MD and several successful interventions with U.S. students provide hope for the improvement of fraction knowledge among American children with MD.

Students with Mathematics Learning Disabilities and Their Ways of Thinking in Fraction Learning

“…Finally, Tian, Jing, and Siegler, state that the use of an optimal number line model can help MLD students understand fraction size and calculation [18].…”

Διερεύνηση Μαθηματικών Δεξιοτήτων Που Απαιτούνται Για Τη Διαχείριση Κλασματικών Αριθμών Μαθητών Ε΄ Και Στ΄ Δημοτικού Με Δυσκολίες Στα Μαθηματικά Και Την Ανάγνωση

“…Αυτό μπορεί να αποδειχθεί και από το γεγονός ότι σε ένα τεστ κλασμάτων που έγινε σε πολλά σχολεία της Αμερικής το 2004, στα πλαίσια της αξιολόγησης της εκπαιδευτικής προόδου σε μαθητές Β΄ Γυμνασίου, μόνο το 50% αυτών κατάφερε να βάλει στη σωστή σειρά τρία κλάσματα από το μικρότερο στο μεγαλύτερο. Ακόμα, στην Κίνα και στην Ιαπωνία αν και καταφέρνουν να έχουν μια καλή εννοιολογική κατανόηση των κλασμάτων συνεχίζουν να τα θεωρούν δύσκολα (Fazio & Siegler, 2015• Tian & Siegler, 2016.…”

The Effects of Motion Math: Bounce on Students’ Fraction Knowledge

“…Similar trends were found among eighth graders who participated in the assessment, with only 65 percent of eighth graders demonstrating the ability to translate a percent to a fraction in a real‐world context (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], ). Unfortunately, challenges with developing fraction knowledge tend to be persistent over time for struggling math learners (Jordan, Resnick, Rodrigues, Hansen, & Dyson, ; Siegler & Pyke, ; Tian & Siegler, ).…”