Best tips to teach place value/fractions/decimals?

[Tenaj]

My 11yods has always struggled with math. I thought we had the problem solved last year when we switched to CLE. I backed him up to Grade 3 math and he finally learned his multiplication and division facts.

 

Now, he's half-way through the Grade 4 level and we are stuck again with fractions, decimals and what I think is probably a place-value issue. No matter how many times we go over it, improper vs. proper fractions are just not sticking and I really think he can't visualize what I'm talking about. I've drawn diagrams constantly. Illustrated every which way I can think of and he's just not getting it. Today he simplified a fraction 6/8 and ended up with 1 and 1/4?

 

Decimals are just as bad. For example, he sees 35 x 100 and answers 3,500 but when he sees 35.0 x 100 he'll answer 35,000. He doesn't recognize that 35 and 35.0 are the same number so any decimal just doesn't make sense to him and I am at my wit's end trying to help him. He's obviously got the "short-cut" down (of adding two zeros) but doesn't understand why that works despite the work we've done over and over to show the "why".

 

He's been doing fine on the quizzes and tests because of the spiral-nature of CLE. There aren't enough of those questions to make him get below the 80% but it's obvious that he's just not getting it.

 

Do I just keep on going, hoping that the light eventually dawns during one of our tutoring sessions? I was wondering about using some MM worksheets . . . or I have a lot of Singapore workbooks in various grade levels . . .maybe doing sections to help him visualize these concepts.

 

Any suggestions or experiences?

[SkateLeft]

Have you looked at Math-U-See's Epsilon and Zeta levels? The fraction overlays in Epsilon might be very helpful for your son. Maybe he just needs a more hands-on approach to fractions and decimals.

 

My 11 year old is accelerated in math, but asked me if he could do a fraction review, since he felt like that was a weak area. I don't have any other experience with MUS, but I bought Epsilon and the fraction overlays. He went through the curriculum quickly, but the hands-on component seemed to really help clear up his fraction fogginess.

 

He didn't care for the way that they taught some things, because he felt that they really belabored the point, but for a kid that struggles with fraction concepts, it might be a really good approach.

[BatmansWife]

Another idea would be to get the Key To... books on fractions, decimals, and maybe even percents.

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[Ghee]

These books are a series of lessons focusing entirely on conceptual understanding (you get your practice problems elsewhere once the child understands and is comfortable with the concept). Each usually has a hands-on activity of some sort, incorporates visual understanding, discussion, and only at the end moves to written math and conventional representation. We went through quite a lot of the books in no particular order and dd loved them all. Some of the activities she liked so much she even asked for them as games. Anyway:

 

http://store.mathsolutions.com/product-info.php?Beyond-Pizzas-pid184.html

http://store.mathsolutions.com/product-info.php?Teaching-Arithmetic-Introducting-Fractions-pid299.html

 

Elsewhere like they have a different book that contains practice problems, or elsewhere like it's up to you to google it and pull it together?

 

I am enjoying the Key to books. My 13 year old struggles with math and this seems to be clicking for him (we are in Fractions right now.) I'm finding things, even within the Key to book, that we need to work on. THAT I'm able to either create my own worksheet OR find one online.

 

I'm going to look up these books, as well, because every little bit extra helps :)

[La Texican]

May not be what you need, but it sure is yummy. There's a book on Amazon called Apple Fractions. It's not a workbook it's a little math story that illustrates which is the numerator and which is a denominator in other words what a fraction even really is. The story is a little non-fiction narrative about types of apples. I have my son read me the book while I sit at the table with a knife I cut the different fractions into apples. I learned after the first time it's easier to cut only halfway through the apple so that the sections are clear but are still held togeather at the bottom. At the end of the book I google apple pie filling (something like apple pie spice and cornstarch and sugar). I peel the apples and put em in a ready crust. Yum! And my pies are getting better each time. Maybe a bag of (scored not sliced) Apples will work at the level of improper fractions too.

[Tenaj]

Thanks for all of the ideas.

 

Sailmom: I had considered Epsilon because my older kids had used it at one time . . . I've sold it all but I think I do have the fraction overlays here somewhere - I'd forgotten about them. Maybe if I pull out the blocks, overlays and work on Decimal Street a bit that will get him over the hump. I think it's worth a try. Of course, it's been in my mind that I may have to reinvest in the MUS for him. But he loves CLE - says he has the best math curr. in the whole world - LOL. I hate to switch him again unless I have too.

 

AprilMay: I had thought of the Key To's. I'm going to search and see if I can buy them as a download somewhere. I hate to wait for shipping too long.

 

Everyone else: Thanks for all the links and ideas. I'll get busy tonight and look at them all.

[Ghee]

I got my keys to on amazon...all four fractions books and the answer keys for about $21. I have prime so I got it in 2 days :)

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[FairProspects]

We did Marilyn Burns for concepts, then used the Key to books selectively (along with games and other things).

 

Are there books like this on decimals too? I have the AIMS materials for fractions which looks pretty similar, but I'd love to find something like this for decimals.

[Lily_Grace]

I made color coded graph paper. It really makes a difference. For decimals we had two shades of the same color:

Thousands (green)

Hundreds (pink)

Tens (blue)

Units (green)

Tenths (lightest blue)

Hundredths (shell pink)

Thousandths (lightest green)

 

 

You can make graph paper for big or small numbers by repeating the g,p,b sequence in either direction, but keeping the distinction between the two for decimals and whole units. And when in doubt, keep tying it to money. :) Kids seem to get things faster when they see it in terms of value instead of math. :lol:

[Rosie]

I would suggest Math Mammoth Blue Fractions books and these videos that my daughters and I made this year. They are for you to watch and then use those methods to teach your child. It is hands-on and, if you already own Cuisenaire Rods or MUS blocks, free.

 

We haven't done many decimals videos yet, but there are a lot of fractions videos already up and, IMO, that is more important to understand because decimals ARE fractions.