Proportional Reasoning Vocabulary
Know and use advanced vocabulary of multiplicative reasoning — direct proportion, inverse proportion, ratio, rate, unit rate, compound unit, scale factor — accurately in problem-solving contexts
Typical age: 11–14 years
“If your child is solving a problem about speed or density, can they explain what 'compound unit' means and tell the difference between direct proportion (more of one means more of the other) and inverse proportion (more of one means less of the other)?”
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- Scale and similar shapes (age 11+)REQUIRED
Scale diagrams and maps require 'scale factor' as a precisely defined term
- ProportionREQUIRED
Direct and inverse proportion require 'direct proportion' and 'inverse proportion' as precisely understood contrasting terms
- Percentages as Fractions
The conceptual definition of percentage as parts per hundred extends the basic percentage vocabulary to a precise definition
- Percentages (age 12+)
Percentage increase/decrease problems use 'rate', 'proportion', and 'multiplicative relationship' vocabulary
- Compound UnitsREQUIRED
Compound units (speed, density) require 'compound unit', 'rate', 'speed', and 'density' as named and defined vocabulary
- Dividing Quantities by RatioREQUIRED
Dividing in a given ratio requires 'ratio', 'part-to-part', and 'part-to-whole' vocabulary
- Unit Conversions
Unit conversion draws on 'rate', 'unit rate', and 'scale factor' vocabulary
- One Quantity as a Fraction
Expressing one quantity as a fraction of another uses 'proportion' and 'multiplicative relationship' vocabulary
- Ratio NotationREQUIRED
Ratio notation (a:b) requires 'ratio', 'simplify', and 'equivalent' as defined terms
- Ratio Notation and RelationshipsREQUIRED
Multiplicative relationships require 'multiplicative relationship', 'direct proportion', and 'rate' vocabulary