Why does my child write a ratio the wrong way round?
Your child writes a ratio the wrong way round, such as boys to girls as girls to boys.
Why children do it
A ratio looks like two numbers, and children often write them in the order they happen to think of them. But a ratio's order is its meaning: boys to girls 2:3 isn't girls to boys. Saying it in words first, in the question's order, keeps the parts straight.
How to help at home
Ask them to say the ratio in words first, "boys to girls", and keep the parts in that order.
The right way
Write the ratio 12:9 in simplest form.
- 12 ÷ 3 = 43 goes into both 12 and 9.
- 9 ÷ 3 = 3Divide both parts by 3.
- 4:3Nothing bigger than 1 goes into both 4 and 3.
Find out where your child is
A free maths check, in about 15 minutes, shows what your child knows and the mistakes they make. No sign-up.
Start the free checkRelated mistakes
- Why does my child think 5% = 0.5?
- Why does my child think 15% of $80 is $1200?
- Why does my child think $80 reduced by 15% is $65?
- Why does my child think a price of $110 after a 10% rise was $99 before?
- Why does my child give the discount instead of the new price?
- Why does my child take 3/5 of $40 to share it in the ratio 3:5?
- Why does my child think a 2:3 ratio with 12 boys means 13 girls?
- Why does my child work out 150 km in 3 hours as 3 ÷ 150?
- Why does my child work out only one year's interest?
- Why does my child think 12 km in 30 minutes is a speed of 0.4 km/h?