The Giants Project

What is proportional reasoning? many word problems emphasize realworld situations, with the focus on a single variable. Word problems involving proportional reasoning situations are more complex. Solving these types of problems requires students to identify the two variables involved, then identify the relationship between these two variables. Helping students develop a true understanding of proportional reasoning cannot be accomplished with one isolated topic or situation. For students to use proportional reasoning skills, especially in situations involving rational numbers or unfamiliar story settings, several prerequisite topics must be mastered, including equivalence, fraction, ratio, and scale (Levin 1999; Weinberg 2002). Until these foundational topics are seen as interconnected concepts rather than as isolated skills, students may learn how to solve a single proportion item but fail to recognize the many proportional instances found in and out of the classroom.