Each number name would be assigned to an object and each object would be assigned a number name. The difficulty with understanding rational numbers is students must begin to think relatively instead of additively. Think of two children. Each child has a sandwich, both sandwiches are the same size. One sandwich is divided into four parts and the other sandwich is divided into two parts.
Rational numbers require the child to make a shift to relative thinking.
Many children are unaware of this shift in thinking and they continue to try to apply the rules for cardinal numbers to rational numbers. They do not understand the need for a change in their thinking and all too often experience difficulty in mathematics beginning with fractions. USA This page was last updated on March 02, 2001.