Preschool and Kindergarten Children’s Understanding of Fraction and Fair Sharing Concepts

• In Event: Students’ Mathematical Thinking and Learning

Abstract

This paper presents the quantitative and qualitative results of an interview and assessment study of 36 pre-school and Kindergarten children’s attempts to solve fair sharing tasks involving fractional quantities. Children were asked how various snacks could be shared among differing numbers of friends and then asked to explain and/or illustrate their solution. Even some of the youngest children demonstrated a qualitative understanding of fractional unit but, with increasing grade level; we observed an emerging quantitative understanding. We also documented changes in children’s understanding communicated both pictorially and linguistically between three and six years of age. These changes are the focus of our ongoing larger research program.

Authors

• Julie C. Cwikla, University of South Alabama

• Jennifer Vonk, University of Southern Mississippi