A focus on fractions : bringing research to the classroom

A Focus on Fractions is the first book to make cognitive research on how students develop their understanding of fraction concepts readily accessible and understandable to pre- and in-service K– 8 mathematics educators. This important resource assists teachers in translating research findings into their classroom practice by conveying detailed information about how students develop fraction understandings as well as common student misconceptions, errors, preconceptions, and partial understandings that may interfere with students learning. Using extensive annotated samples of student work, as well as vignettes characteristic of classroom teachers’ experiences, this book equips educators with knowledge and tools to reveal students’ thinking so that they can modify their teaching to improve student learning of fractions concepts. Special Features: End of Chapter Questions provide teachers the opportunity to analyze student thinking and consider instructional strategies for their own students. Instructional Links help teachers relate concepts from the chapter to their own instructional materials and programs. Big Ideas and Research Reviews frame the chapters and provide a platform for meaningful exploration of the teaching of fractions. Answer Key posted online offers extensive explanations of in-chapter questions. A Focus on Fractions bridges the gap between what mathematics education researchers have discovered about the learning of fraction concepts and what teachers need to know to make effective instructional decisions.