When should kids learn this?

[nana053]

Originally Posted by villageidiot1

It may be possible but it is not happening. I am subbing today for a 5th grade math teacher and many of the students are struggling with adding, subrtracting and dividing fractions, and basic multipication and division. As I walk around the class, I see kids counting on their fingers. This is not uncommon. In many of the classes where I sub, many students are can only do basic math problems if they use a calculator.

This is the problem that my first two 5th grade classes had problems with today:

1/9 + 2/5 =

That may be because it is only in 5th grade that adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators is introduced. It may be that this was a relatively new skill for them.

Equivalent fractions are introduced in 3rd or 4th grade and adding fractions with like denominators is probably done in 4th.

[carroll4628]

It depends on what state/county. My daughter learned this in the middle of 1st grade in Maryland, then she learned it again in the middle of 2nd grade in Texas. And, they might spend 4 weeks without regrouping - i.e., you don't have to 'carry' any of the numbers 12+41= versus 15+27