> The more I think about it, the more I think the right response might have been "No, you can't do that, because those kids are at a different table. If we adde

> The more I think about it, the more I think the right response might have been "No, you can't do that, because those kids are at a different table. If we added another third of the kids at the same table...", and move on. Ignore the confusing example and refocus on the simple one. Yea, the typing (or w/e) is the problem here. I like another posters examples of apples + oranges = fruits. Otherwise you could further blow their minds. Where 1/3 + 1/3 == 2/6 and 2/6 is equal to 1/3 so 1/3 + 1/3 == 1/3. Hah. Understanding the incompatibility, or at least difference between the first, second and resulting fractions seems essential to understand.