Fractions and Decimals

Overview

Fractions and decimals form the backbone of numerical reasoning at the primary level and appear consistently in PSTET Paper I. This topic tests both your conceptual clarity and your ability to teach these ideas to young learners. Students in Classes III-V first encounter the idea that numbers can represent "parts of a whole," which is a significant cognitive leap from counting whole objects.

For PSTET, you must understand fractions (proper, improper, mixed), the concept of equivalent fractions, conversion between fractions and decimals, and basic operations. Equally important is recognising how children develop fractional thinking—through visual models, real-life contexts (cutting a roti, sharing sweets), and gradual abstraction. Expect 3-5 questions directly on this content, plus pedagogical questions on teaching strategies.

Mastery here also supports later topics like ratio, proportion, percentage, and measurement—all of which build on fractional understanding.

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Key Concepts

• **Fraction as part of a whole**: A fraction a/b means a equal parts out of b total equal parts. The denominator (b) tells how many equal parts; the numerator (a) tells how many parts are taken.

• **Types of fractions**: Proper fractions have numerator < denominator (3/4). Improper fractions have numerator ≥ denominator (7/4). Mixed numbers combine a whole and a fraction (1¾).