Math tutoring: fractions

Math tutors see it all the time. The junior in high school who made it through to algebra 2 or even pre-calculus without mastering working with fractions. Some of this is due to forgetting how to do it over summer breaks or from year to year, and some of it has to do with not taking the time to reinforce these concepts from year to year.

Most students math tutors deal with have enough of a working knowledge of fractions and proportions that they can muddle through a problem that deals with these concepts. However, the fact that these concepts are not mastered can slow them down and leave them prone to errors. Sometimes, a student can know a topic very well, but get bogged down in solving problems because it requires lots of fraction work.

We see this weakness rear its ugly head in units on rational expressions (basically fractions with variables mixed in), simplifying radicals, and any type of factoring or simplifying work. It is frustrating for math teachers, because they often do not have time to revisit these concepts.

We see many students resorting to tutoring to help reinforce these concepts, often in the context of not doing well with the current class. Tutoring is a great way to address this, because it is outside the classroom time, and a tutor can hone in on the specific weaknesses, and show that those weaknesses and the current issues in the class are related. Showing this relationship can help motivate the math student to focus on these fundamentals.