Children are taught early on that numbers are representative of whole objects, like cookies on a plate or apples in a store. Because of that, partial numbers are a much harder concept to grasp. Using a number line that consists of 5 segments between 0 and 5, students can clearly see that there is a whole number between 2 and 4. But a number line also shows something else: There are also numbers between, say 2 and 3 or 3 and 4. This visual representation of fractions makes it easier for students to understand.
Because number lines show fractions in a visual way, they also help students learn how to perform basic operations with fractions, which is a commonly difficult concept for children to understand. Think about how complicated this is for students: 2 + 2 is equal to 4, right? So why would 1/2 + 1/2 not equal 1/4? On a number line, though, two halves of a segment clearly add up to a whole one, so 1/2 + 1/2 must equal 2/2 or 1. Number lines allow for a deeper understanding of how to count, compose, and compare fractions. Students need the visual explanations that number lines allow. Number lines are great tools because both whole numbers and fractions live on them. However, students often don’t think of fractions as numbers, making it challenging for them to understand. This week we have been reinforcing our fraction skills and learning about equivalent fractions. We created our own number lines with pipe cleaners and beads. It really helped the student to visualize the concept of equialent fractions.
