Informal learning activities improve early fraction knowledge: A randomized controlled study

This study examined the effects of learning activities on first- and second-grade children's early fraction knowledge (N = 83) from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States: 42% of the sample was male, 45% female, and 13% unreported. The racial/ethnic breakdown was 22.9% White, 27.7% Black, 4.8% Asian, 10.8% Hispanic and 14.5% multiracial, with 19.3% unreported. Children were randomly assigned to an experimental fraction training group or an active control group. A mixed ANCOVA showed a significant Time × Condition interaction on fraction knowledge. Although both groups demonstrated significant improvement from pretest to posttest, children in the training group exhibited a large effect (d = 1.08) on fraction knowledge compared to a much smaller effect for the control group (d = 0.27).