Fractions

Teachers need to use images need to help the learner understand that a fraction can be more than a whole (unity). Starting with area tiles that support the understanding of common unit fractions* is an important step, which can easily be extended to fractions greater than unity. Additionally, the relative size of the text subliminally indicating that a  is bigger than a  a concept that learners find difficult to comprehend and is counterintuitive having learnt that 4 is greater than 2

Starting point

Extended to

and

To aid conceptual understanding a teacher might consider creating a pack of tiles along the lines of the ones in the diagram below. The manipulative tiles representing the fractions.

and the colours aiding the process.

The visualisation of fractions lying on a number line* is often used, but almost always just in the range 0 to 1.

Less frequently are learners shown images where beyond this range, such as

This visualisation helps learners make the connection between integers and fractions and the fact that fractions are as infinite and additionally the equivalence of some fractions with their integer counterpart.

Fractions Guide