APHD Colloquium: What Makes Fractions So Hard? And What Can We Do About It?

Important but difficult. These three words capture decades of research on fraction learning. Although central to children’s mathematical development, many occupations, and everyday activities (e.g., cooking, home repairs, finances), fractions pose a formidable challenge for many learners, adults included. Why is this? What is it about fractions that makes them so difficult? Over the last three years, this question has been at the forefront of our lab’s work. Addressing it is critical not only for advancing current theories of numerical cognition but also for informing the design of evidence-based fraction interventions and instruction. 

In this talk, Dr. Zachary Hawes will present two studies from his lab aimed at achieving both goals. First, he will share results from a study examining the impact of language on children’s fraction multiplication performance. They wondered whether asking children to solve standard fraction multiplication problems (e.g., What’s ½ × ½?) might lead to different strategies, diagram use, and accuracy than presenting the same problems with the multiplication symbol replaced by the word ‘of’ (e.g., What’s ½ of ½?). Second, Dr. Hawes will present results from a six-week intervention designed to improve children’s foundational fraction skills, namely, the ability to quickly and accurately access fraction magnitudes (e.g., immediately grasping that ⅓ is larger than ¼). The aim was not only to improve children’s conceptual understanding of fractions but also to test whether such gains would transfer to improvements in fraction arithmetic.

Together, these studies provide new insights into the cognitive foundations of fraction learning and how this knowledge might be leveraged to improve the teaching and learning of fractions moving forward.   

Event Agenda

12:00 - 1:00 PM: Networking Lunch

1:00 - 2:30 PM Colloquium

• 1:00 - 2:00 PM: Presentation
• 2:00 - 2:30 PM: Audience Q&A