Hearing echoes of “But when am I going to use this in real life?” on a regular basis, teachers often point students back to everyday examples of math, which is crucial for motivation and engagement. But what about the specific skills and competencies students are learning in elementary school today—how do these foundations impact long-term student understanding?
Educators can likely explain how phonemic awareness is vital to decoding and emphasize how math fact fluency allows students to free up working memory space. But when it comes to fractions, conceptual understanding in the early years is equally crucial.
Why are fractions important?
The National Math Advisory Panel (NMAP) examined factors associated with algebraic readiness and performance and concluded that “ the teaching of fractions must be acknowledged as critically important and improved before an increase in student achievement in algebra can be expected” (2008).
A national survey of algebra teachers bolstered the NWAP’s findings regarding the critical need to focus on fractions. Responses from more than 700 teachers confirmed the limited understanding of fractions as one of the most important deficiencies that should be addressed in improving readiness.
The impact of fractions on algebraic understanding
Research has deepened the evidence around the role of fractions in more advanced coursework. In fact, fractions knowledge at the end of grade 5 was identified as a strong and unique predictor of success many years later in high school math (even after controlling for other variables that typically impact math achievement, including knowledge of whole numbers, IQ, working memory, reading comprehension, and family income and educational levels).
The new ExploreLearning Frax White Paper expands on the importance of fractions on long-term success, uncovering the link between algebra and fractions, along with the impact of fractions on STEM careers and everyday adult numeracy.
Prepare for long-term success with Frax
Using ExploreLearning Frax, students can build a foundational understanding of fractions to dramatically impact their future algebraic understanding and math success. Frax builds on intuitive visual representations (like length models) to introduce the number line representation of a fraction. As students progress through carefully scaffolded game-based tasks, they develop a strong understanding of fraction magnitude, essential to later success in algebra.
With a relatively modest investment of time (on average 13 hours to complete Frax Sector 1), students and teachers can succeed with fractions, experience achievement gains, and overcome barriers to future opportunities.