<p> Why are fractions so difficult to learn?</p><p>As many teachers and parents know, learning the various fraction operations can be difficult for many children. It's not the concept of fraction that is difficult - it is the addition, multiplication, subtraction, simpifying, etc. - various operations that you do with fractions. And the simple reason why learning the various fraction operations proves difficult for children is the way they are typically taught in school books. </p><p>Just look at the amount of rules there are to learn about fractions:</p><p>1. Fraction addition - same Add the numerators, and use the same denominator denominators 2. Fraction addition - different First find a common denominator by taking the least common multiple of the denominators. Then convert all the denominators addends to have this common denominator. Then add using the rule above. 3. Finding equivalent fractions Multiply both the numerator and denominator with a same number Multiply the whole number part by the denominator and add the numerator to get the numerator. Use the same 4. Mixed number to a fraction denominator as in the fractional part of the mixed number. 5. (Improper) fraction to a mixed Divide the numerator by the denominator to get the whole number part. The remainder will be the numerator of the number fractional part. Denominator is the same. 6. Simplifying fractions Find the (greatest) common divisor of the numerator and denominator, and divide both by it. 7. Fraction multiplication Multiply the numerators, and the denominators. 8. Fraction division Find the reciprocal of the divisor, and multiply by it.</p><p>IF children simply try to memorize these without knowing where they came from, they will probably seem like a jungle of seemingly meaningless rules. By meaningless I mean that the rule does not seem to connect with anything about the operation - it is just like a play where in each case you multiply or divide or add or do various things with the numerators and denominators and that then should give you the answer. </p><p>Fraction math can then become blind following of the rules, tossing the numbers here and there, calculating this and that - and getting answers of which the kids have no idea if they are reasonable or not. And of course, it is quite easy to forget these rules, or remember them wrong - especially after 5-10 years.</p>