The role of language in fraction performance: A synthesis of literature

• Review suggests oral language uniquely contributes to fraction performance.
• Oral language predicts fractions over whole-number skill.
• Language and mathematic tasks may be confounded with other areas of cognition.

The purpose of this review was to examine the role of oral language in fraction outcomes for school-age students. A comprehensive literature search yielded three studies conducted in the United States for synthesis from which conclusions were drawn. The studies included elementary students in first through fifth grade. Overall, findings suggest that oral language plays a meaningful role in fraction performance. However, heterogeneity across included studies and measurement concerns limit comparisons and conclusions. Differences in measures and other potential confounding variables are discussed. Future research is needed to determine the causal role of language in fraction performance and the extent to which subconstructs of language impact student learning, and the cognitive load of instructional language warrants consideration.