Teaching fractions in elementary school

Fractions are a significant struggle for many students. Students are typically taught to memorize algorithms to use when working with fractions. They have little to no understanding of how or why these algorithms work. This turns math into memorization rather than a way of thinking. Allowing students to develop their own strategies for working with fractions will increase their understanding so that they can successfully build on their knowledge and apply it to real-life situations. Through lessons in which students develop their own strategies for solving fraction problems, students will gain a conceptual understanding of fractions and recognize that mathematics is not memorization, but a way of thinking.