Common Misconceptions with Fractions and Decimals

Misconception
Half means just one whole cut into
two pieces
For example many children will wrongly
say that this circle has
been cut into thirds.
Fractions of the whole are whole
numbers in themselves.
For example to think that when a cake is
cut into half you get two cakes (which
implies you get more, when in fact its
just 2 halves of the whole, which is less)

What needs to be taught

Use regions (continuous models) and sets (discrete

models), to emphasis fractions as being equal
pieces or fair shares.

Book 7 p.11 Fair Shares - CA to AC

Bev Dunbar book Fractions

Stations involving cubes, playdough containers, shapes,

blocks, beads, pegboards, geoboards,

Misconception
Fraction symbols incorrectly
identified.
For example to read 1/3 as three
quarters or to write three quarters as
3 1/4s or simply not being able to read
fraction symbols.

What needs to be taught

Misconception
The bigger the number on the bottom,
the bigger the fraction.
This results to wrongly ordering unit
fractions. For example to think that 1/6
is bigger than 1/2

What needs to be taught

Misconception
The size of a fraction depends solely
on the number at the bottom
(denominator) and you can ignore the
number on the top (numerator).
For example: to think that 1/4 is bigger
than 7/8.

Showing the language behind the fractions. what

the ths code is.

Book 4 p.6 Fraction Pieces CA, AC, EA, AA

Book 4 p.6 Creating Fractions AC,EA,AA,AM,AP

Book 4 p.7 Non-Unit Fractions EA, AA, AM, AP

Book 4 p.8 Packets of Lollies EA, AA, AM, AP

Understanding that the number on the bottom

tells us how many parts the whole has been divided
into. The more parts there are the smaller each
portion will be.

Book 4 p.18 Who Has More Cake AA, AM, AP

Exploring fraction circle kits and fraction wall kits

Rotating Regions

What needs to be taught

Fractions greater than 1 - to show the need to

coordinate the top and bottom numbers to
determine the size of the fraction. The number on
the bottom means how many parts the whole has
been divided into, and the number on the top
means how many of those parts are chosen.

Book 7 p. 20 Fraction Circles AC to EA

Fraction Circles Game dice ( /4, /4, /2, /8, /8, /8)

Book 7 p. 22 Independent Work Fractions in a Row

Misconception
3
/4 is always more than 1/2,
Not making reference to the whole.

What needs to be taught

Understanding that fractions are operators as well

as numbers and must always be related to the
whole. i.e. When is 1/4 bigger than a 1/2? Make a
fuss of the whole.

Book 4 p.18 Little Halves and Big Quarters - AM, AP

Going from Part to whole using parts of a shape and

parts of a set

Book 7 p.26 Birthday Cakes EA to AA

Book 7 p.28 Independent Work:Chocolate Chip

Cheesecake (MM7-1) & Mystery Stars (MM7-8)

Doug Clarks chocolate bars. (Tables set up with 1,2,3 or

4 bars on them. shared between 9 people)

Bead number lines double number lines

Misconception
Wrongly convert fractions to ratios
and vice versa
For example to think that 1/2 = 1:2 as a
ratio, when in fact 1/2 is 1:1 as a ratio

What needs to be taught

Misconception
Fractions and decimals are negative
numbers
For example to think that 5/8 or 0.45
are less than 0

What needs to be taught

locating fractions on a number line to show that

.
Misconception
Fractions are added together by
adding the top numbers together then
adding the bottom numbers together.
For example to think that 3/5 + 2/4 = 5/9

Understanding the relationship between ratios and

fractions through visual representation

Book 7 p.30 Seed Packets

- EA to AA

fractions are numbers as well as operators & that

an infinite set of fractions exist between whole
numbers.

Counting in halves, thirds etc. and marking fractions along

a number line

Book 7 p.32 Trains EA to AA

Book 7 p.28 Fraction Circles Independent Work

Fraction in a Row

Book 4 p.29 Locating Decimal Fractions AM, AP

Questions like mark 3 numbers between 4.3 and 4.4 on

the number line

Brian Storeys decimal number line game

What needs to be taught

Understanding equivalence between fractions

with like denominators e.g.1/4 + 1/4 and with related

denominators e.g. 1/2 + 1/4 (use fraction walls, & kits)

Book 5 Additional Material Comparing Apples with

Apples AA to AM

with any fractional numbers e.g. 2/3 +

understanding of equivalence needed)

13

/20 (thorough

To teach equivalence between fractions;

Book 4 p.20 Who Gets More AM, AP

Book 4 p.30 The Same But Different AM, AP

Misconception

Wrongly expressing fractions as

decimals.
For example to think that 1/2 is 0.2

What needs to be taught

Understanding that decimals (and percentages) are

special cases of equivalent fractions in that they
always involve tenths, hundredths or thousandths
etc. Practise is needed in order to convert
fractions to equivalent decimals

Book 4 p.19 Super Licorice AA, AM

Book 7 p.41 Decimats AA to AM

Misconception
Decimals are two independent sets of
whole numbers separated by a decimal
point
This often leads to incorrectly ordering
decimals. For example to think that 0.67
is bigger than 0.8

What needs to be taught

Misconception
Incorrectly adding and subtracting
decimals.
For example to think that 3.4 + 1.8= 4.12

What needs to be taught

understanding how the numbers on the left and right of
the decimal point contribute to the size of the number

Misconception
When you multiply fractions and
decimals the total gets bigger and
when you divide they get smaller.
For example to think that 4/6 x 5 will be
5 times bigger than 4/6 , when in fact
the answer is only 31/3.

Misconception

Incorrectly solve problems involving

fractions, proportions and ratios

Visual understanding of what tenths and

hundredths actually represent

Book 7 p.38 Decimal Pipes AA to AM

Book 4 p.20 Who Wins? AA, AM, AP

Decimal Keyboards and Decimal Arrow Cards

Book 7 p.38 Decimal Pipes AA to AM

Book 7 p.30 Candy Bars AA to AM (No longer in Bk 7)

What needs to be taught

seeing that although whole numbers get bigger

when they are multiplied the reverse is true for
fractional numbers. When something is multiplied
by a fractional number the answer gets less
When something is divided by a fractional number
the answer gets bigger.

Book 7 p.63 Folding Fractions and Decimals AM to AP

Brian Storeys Decimal Grid

The Maze Game

What needs to be taught

Finding relationships between units of different

quantities and converting between fractions,
decimals and percentages

Book 7 p.56 Extending Hot Shots AM to AP

Book 7 p.61 Extending Mixing Colours AM to AP

Book 4 p.21
percentages AP

Book 4 p.21 Difficult Fractions to Percentages AP

Equivalent

Fractions,

Decimals

&