Field Experience-Ratio Reasoning (Essay Sample)

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Field Experience – Ratio or Proportional Reasoning Assessment
Proportional or ratio reasoning is an arithmetical association between two variables or ratios. Proportional reasoning helps elementary students to understand mathematics and science since it is the foundation of the two fields. It also helps the students to understand many aspects on reality world issues that are involving proportions, including speed and currency. Proportional reasoning, on the other hand, also prepares elementary students for middle school mathematics. However, after carrying out a field experiment, more strategies are required when instructing students (Riedesel, Schwartz and Clements 54).
The study established that the students experience problems when dealing with discrete numbers. For instance, elementary students often find it difficult adding similar proportions. Therefore, modifying proportional thinking helps the students to understand the concepts. Shapes can be used while teaching the elementary students to solve simple proportional ratios. For example, using a circle divided into four parts is helpful in showing the young children that two quarters are equal to one half(Riedesel, Schwartz and Clements 92).
The study also showed that elementary students experience becomes difficult in proportionality thinking where they are required to compare two sets of discrete ratios. However, they are able to compare ratios with similar denominator as in the case of probability. For instance, the students understood that 5/8 is more probable than 3/8. However, the kids often mistook 5/7to be bigger than 3/4. In this case using a diagrammatic representation of shaded parts as ratio of a whole helped the students identify which shapes were big...