MODELLING FRACTIONS WITH AREA: THE SALIENCE OF VERTICAL PARTITIONING

Dedication: In grateful memory of my sister Georgia Kyriakidou. A four-month constructivist teaching experiment with a class of 22 fifth graders was carried out in order to explore and study how children could use rectangular area models to represent fractions. The teacher’s narratives along with students ’ written work and transcripts of audio-taped class discussions constitute the primary data source for analysis. This study provides strong evidence that vertical partitioning occupies a salient position in children’s perception of proper fractions. It also describes children’s attempts to articulate their inner experience as they move from conception to formal concept