ABSTRACT

Proportional reasoning is one of the best indicators that a student has attained understanding of rational numbers and related multiplicative concepts. While, on one hand, it is a measure of one’s understanding of elementary mathematical ideas, it is, on the other, part of the foundation for more complex concepts. Clearly, many people who have not developed their proportional reasoning ability have been able to compensate by using rules in algebra, geometry, and trigonometry courses, but, in the end, the rules are a poor substitute for sense-making. Proportional reasoning refers to detecting, expressing, analyzing, explaining, and providing evidence in support of assertions about proportional relationships. The word reasoning further suggests that we use common sense, good judgment, and a thoughtful approach to problem-solving, rather than plucking numbers from word problems and blindly applying rules and operations.