Fractions Face-Off!
Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- This strategy can help address educational disparities. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
- Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Program overview
Supplemental math program for fraction skills: Fractions Face-Off! is a supplemental math tutoring program designed to help fourth-grade students who have difficulty with fractions. There is evidence that it increases student achievement in fraction understanding and operations and general mathematics.
Delivered by interventionists to students in small groups: Fractions Face-Off! can be delivered by interventionists in small groups within a classroom setting or other quiet locations within the school. The curriculum is designed to be implemented three times a week for 13 weeks, with each lesson lasting approximately 30 minutes. Teachers receive curriculum resources including a set of materials and lesson guides.
Lessons divided into four components: Each lesson in Fractions Face-Off! consists of the following components: a word problem warm-up, an instructional component, and practice activities. For word problems, schema-based instruction helps students identify problem types and use efficient solution strategies for that problem type. During the instructional portion, the educator teaches and models new fraction content, emphasizing fraction magnitude. Students then apply their understanding and practice skills through relays, where they take turns solving problems relevant to the new content, and sprints that consist of faster-paced flashcard activities designed to build fluency.
Building a wide range of fraction skills: The portion of Fractions Face-Off! focused on fraction magnitude addresses fractions less than, equal to, and greater than 1, with three fraction magnitude activities: comparing two fractions, ordering three fractions, and placing fractions on a zero-to-one and zero-to-two number lines.
Part of a family of fraction interventions: The Fuchs Research Group, which developed Fractions Face-Off!, also offers Super Solvers, an extension of Fractions Face-Off! for grades 3, 4, and 5. Super Solvers strengthens aspects of Fractions Face-Off! and addresses the increased focus on Career- and College-Readiness Standards in U.S. schools.
- Strategies
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Math curricula and interventions
- Cost per Participant
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$40 per print or electronic material set
Multiple studies with rigorous designs demonstrate that Fractions Face-Off! is a well-established strategy for improving learning about fractions.
- A 2017 review of five randomized controlled trials found that students who received the Fractions Face-Off! intervention performed higher than control group students in number line estimation, addition and subtraction of proper fractions and mixed numbers, and generalized learning about fractions.
Provide training and coaching for educators: Educators should be trained prior to implementing Fractions Face-Off! lessons. Expert trainers from Vanderbilt University (where the curriculum was developed) are available to provide training. Lead teachers or instructional coaches should observe lessons and provide coaching to interventionists on an interim basis.
Select instructor ratios intentionally: This curriculum can be delivered in both small group and one-on-one formats. Small groups should consist of no more than eight children per educator and are best for children without significant learning challenges or behavioral problems. Small groups of two students or the one-on-one format is better suited for children who have a greater need for support and for educators with less experience.
Ensure students are developing deep comprehension: Educators should encourage students to demonstrate their mathematical understanding, rather than simply providing correct answers. During sessions, educators should ask questions that prompt students to explain their thinking and require that students show their work when solving word problems or relay practice problems.
Use data to guide instruction: Because Fractions Face-Off! is designed for students who struggle with fraction skills, educators should use routine classroom activities and assessments to determine which students would benefit most from the intervention. (Also, a progress-monitoring system addressing the Fractions Face-Off! curricular content is available from Vanderbilt University.) For students who are participating in the program, interventionists should monitor student responses through all lesson components of lessons and provide corrective feedback as needed.