Fractions Without Friction

Thursday, March 1, 2001

Fractions Without Friction (NAPSA)--People who have done the math know that success in the analytic (mathematics) sections ofeither the SAT or the GED requires a sound grounding in fractions. For thousands and thousands of parents whose kids have trouble with fractions this can be a serious problem. A problem that can hold their kids back —not only in school and college, but throughout their careers. Now professional educators led by the former head of the math department at Haverford CoHege in Pennsylvania have developed a systera for teaching fractions, that provides a solution for fractions-challenged kids and their families. Best of all, the program, called “Fractions and Some Cool Distractions,” teaches fractions the way kids today like te learn: with fan, instructional videos. Each lesson in the three 1% hour cassettes takes specific types of fraction problems and shows the easy wayto solve them by explaiming the underlying principles. The result: students remember how to solve fractions because they remember howthey work. When kids are just taught rules and procedures, the ability te do fraction problems is quickly forgotten. In addition to a friendly teacher, comical cartoon charac- ters created by a well-known Sesame Street animator demonstrate each lesson in the program. The program also includes a workbook with problems to test the “Fractions and Some Coal Distractions”—a video program that uses cartoons to take the pain and frustration out of learning fractions. student’s mastery of each lesson. Any time a student has trouble solving a problem, they simply rewind andreplay. “Fractions and Some Cool Distractions,” was developed byAlicia Boyd and Cletus Oakley. Boyd has Master’s degrees in psychology and math. Oakley has a Ph.D. in math and was chairman of the committee that writes the math portion of the SAT. To find out if a student needs help with fractions, go to the Website www.fractionsvideo.com and have the student take the quick fractions quiz. The same Web site ean also be used to order the economically priced three-cassette instructional program. Or, call Rabhe Publishing, Inc. 610-6490982. Mail: 301 Keithwood Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096.