Overview

This part uses the fraction-comparison strategies as a tool to anticipate and analyze students’ methods for comparing fractions.

Key Points

The following practices are helpful when analyzing students’ work on tasks:

• Anticipate the strategies and representations students may use.
• Identify the strategies students did use. If the student used a different strategy than predicted, consider if is it a fitting choice.
• If the strategy is unfamiliar, explore whether or not the strategy is mathematically valid.
• Identify questions to ask the student about her/his strategy or new problems to pose that would further reveal her/his understanding.