Yesterday, to help my tutoring student conceptualize fractions, I brought in the makings of s’mores. Before breaking out the food, we went outside and played a game of foursquare, which allowed me to kinesthetically teach how two halves and four quarters can become a whole. Then we went inside and used the food to drive home the point of what a numerator is and a denominator is. My student was able to break the food into fractions to help her solve simple math problems that I posed to her and you could see her understanding grow with each tactile interaction with the food. In the end, we celebrated her newfound understanding by noshing on the chocolate, Graham Crackers, and marshmallow. A suitable reward for mastering a difficult concept.
TLC Tutoring 