Strategies for Teaching Strategies for Teaching Fractions to Junior Fractions to Junior High/High School High/High School Students Identified Students Identified with Learning with Learning DisabilitiesDisabilities

Laura KlescewskiLaura Klescewski

Terri BrauerTerri Brauer

CMAGCMAG

Closing the Math Achievement Closing the Math Achievement GapGap

Dr. Judith Hankes, UW-ODr. Judith Hankes, UW-O 3 year study3 year study

CGICGI

Cognitively Guided InstructionCognitively Guided Instruction

HistoryHistory Prior KnowledgePrior Knowledge

– Children come to school with an innate ability to solve Children come to school with an innate ability to solve problems.problems.

– Children may understand the concept but may not be Children may understand the concept but may not be able to make sense of the procedure. able to make sense of the procedure.

Inventing strategiesInventing strategies– It is more effective for children to come up with their own It is more effective for children to come up with their own

methods vs. being taught the procedure without methods vs. being taught the procedure without understanding.understanding.

True UnderstandingTrue Understanding Self EsteemSelf Esteem

Steps to Steps to Understanding Understanding FractionsFractions Always introduce fractions in the form Always introduce fractions in the form

of a story problem.of a story problem. Students must draw out their own Students must draw out their own

fraction pictures.fraction pictures. Students must understand fractions Students must understand fractions

are part of a whole.are part of a whole. Multiplying and dividing fractions are Multiplying and dividing fractions are

much easier than adding and much easier than adding and subtracting fractions with unlike subtracting fractions with unlike denominators, mixed fractions, and denominators, mixed fractions, and improper fractions. improper fractions.

Using Prior Knowledge Using Prior Knowledge to Solve Fraction to Solve Fraction ProblemsProblems

At school we had a bake sale and had At school we had a bake sale and had to make 1050 cookies. How much to make 1050 cookies. How much sugar did we need?sugar did we need?

(¾ cup sugar is needed to make 50 cookies)(¾ cup sugar is needed to make 50 cookies)

InsertInsert

Ryan solving Rolland’s recipe Ryan solving Rolland’s recipe problemproblem

Denny explaining to MelissaDenny explaining to Melissa

Begin with a Fraction Begin with a Fraction of the Wholeof the Whole The library received some new The library received some new

books. ½ of them are fantasy. ¼ books. ½ of them are fantasy. ¼ of them are biographies. 1/8 of of them are biographies. 1/8 of them are mysteries. 6 were sport them are mysteries. 6 were sport books. How many new books did books. How many new books did the library get?the library get?

Insert Ryan books videoInsert Ryan books video

Student Must Find a Student Must Find a Fraction of a FractionFraction of a Fraction Randy dropped the cookie jar. Half the Randy dropped the cookie jar. Half the

cookies fell on the floor. Before he cookies fell on the floor. Before he could clean it up, the dog came and ate could clean it up, the dog came and ate 2/3 of the cookies. Then his little 2/3 of the cookies. Then his little brother came in and ate half of the brother came in and ate half of the cookies on the floor. When Randy came cookies on the floor. When Randy came to clean up the mess there were only 4 to clean up the mess there were only 4 cookies left on the floor. How many cookies left on the floor. How many were in the cookie jar before Randy were in the cookie jar before Randy dropped it? dropped it?

InsertInsert

Ryan solving cookie jar problemRyan solving cookie jar problem

A Fraction of a A Fraction of a FractionFraction Jill ate 1/3 of a ½ of a candy bar.Jill ate 1/3 of a ½ of a candy bar.

John ate ½ of a 1/3 of candy bar.John ate ½ of a 1/3 of candy bar.

Who ate more?Who ate more?

Insert video of Melissa-Jill, JohnInsert video of Melissa-Jill, John

Moving into Moving into Multiplication of Multiplication of FractionsFractionsInsert video of multiplying fractionsInsert video of multiplying fractions

Different Stages of Different Stages of DevelopmentDevelopment Insert video of Denny and MelissaInsert video of Denny and Melissa

What Getting Started What Getting Started Looks LikeLooks Like Insert what fraction of the circle is Insert what fraction of the circle is

shaded?shaded? Beginning Fraction problemsBeginning Fraction problems Insert video of 5Insert video of 5thth graders graders

Email Addresses and Email Addresses and WebsitesWebsites Laura Klescewski-Jr. High/High Laura Klescewski-Jr. High/High

School SLD teacher School SLD teacher lklescewski@wabeno.k12.wi.us

Terri Brauer-K-6 SLD teacher Terri Brauer-K-6 SLD teacher tebrauer@wabeno.k12.wi.us