\nPerhaps in grades 6 and\/or 7, reducing fractions becomes important: 14\/20 needs to be reduced, for instance, to 7\/10, since both 14 and 20 are divisible by the same number (2 in this case). Similarly, 6\/12 reduces to 1\/2 since both 6 and 12 are divisible by 6.<\/p>\n
\nSome students never seem to succeed with reducing, likely because they aren’t familiar enough with the times tables to realize when two numbers have a common factor, then how many times that factor will divide into the numerator and denominator. A times tables chart can help, but seems less effective than just knowing the times tables.<\/p>\n
Learning the times tables, on the other hand, takes effort on the front end.<\/p> \n
\nReducing might be one of those skills that’s less common today, compared with decades past. It’s no less important.<\/p>\nJack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane,<\/a> Campbell River, BC. \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tutoring math, some challenges need to be addressed: the tutor mentions reducing. Perhaps in grades 6 and\/or 7, reducing fractions becomes important: 14\/20 needs to be reduced, for instance, to 7\/10, since both 14 and 20 are divisible by the …<\/p>\n