Young children can learn to reason and to name fractions

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of a teaching intervention on children’s reasoning and labelling of fractions in Quotient, Part-whole and Operator situations. A Pre-test, Intervention and Post-test design was used with 37 six- to seven-year-olds from Primary schools in Braga, Portugal. The children had not been taught about fractions in school. Reasoning and labelling questions were presented in the three situations in the Pre- and Post-test. During teaching, each intervention group learned about fractions in only one of the three situation. Children who were taught in the Quotient situation made significant progress in the reasoning and naming fractions; Children taught in the Part-whole or in the Operator situations only learned how to label fractions.