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The article focuses on how to understand fractions in which mathematics specialist Snider uses funky cookie tasks to teach fifth-grade students with mathematical concepts under the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition (VMSC). It mentions that the students participate in problem-solving which use drawings and manipulative to explore mathematical concepts in the elementary school curriculum. It says that the students assemble polygons by combining pattern blocks to understand the processes involved in converting improper fractions to mixed numbers.

This study investigated the use of block-building interventions to develop spatial-reasoning skills in kindergartners. Two intervention conditions and a control condition were included to determine, first, whether the block building activities themselves benefited children's spatial skills, and secondly, whether a story context further improved learning. Spatial measures included: spatial visualization, mental rotation, and block building. Results showed: for block building, interventions within a story context improved performance compared to the other two conditions. For spatial visualization, both types of block-building interventions improved performance compared to the control condition. Findings suggest: (1) storytelling provides an effective context for teaching spatial content, (2) teaching block building develops wider spatial skills, and (3) 3-dimensional mental rotation tasks show a male advantage in kindergartners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]