Using proportional reasoning to solve problems: finding costs from unit prices, scaling recipes, calculating rates. Using 'find one, then multiply' or 'find the multiplier' strategies.
Where your child meets this in real life: Calculating costs (if 3 apples cost £1.20, how much do 7 cost?), scaling recipes (6 scones → 18 scones), rate problems
SEAGReady breaks solve scaling and proportion problems into 3 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Scale quantities when one value is a whole number multiple of another (e.g., ×2, ×3, ×4)
Solve proportion problems by finding the unit value first (value of 1), then multiplying by the target quantity
Solve problems involving rates (per minute, per hour) including unit conversions when needed
Three free sample questions from our solve scaling and proportion problems course. Every question comes with a full explanation, and hints that guide without giving the answer away.
The table shows the flour needed for 3 scones. Olivia wants to make 9 scones. How much flour does she need?
At a gift shop, 3 identical postcards cost £6. How much would 5 postcards cost?
The table shows how much water a tap fills in 4 minutes. How many litres will it fill in 10 minutes?
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
A recipe for 4 fairy cakes needs 120g of flour. Millie wants to make 12 fairy cakes for the school bake sale.
How much flour does she need?
4 cakes → 120g, 12 cakes → ?
How many times bigger is 12 than 4?
Step 1 of 4
A recipe for 4 fairy cakes needs 120g of flour. Millie wants to make 12 fairy cakes for the school bake sale.
How much flour does she need?
Millie needs 360g of flour to make 12 fairy cakes.
The key insight: Whatever you do to one side, you do to the other - that's what proportional means!
Common mix-up: 120g + 8 = 128g. Adding doesn't work for scaling. If you make 3 times as many, you multiply by 3.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in solve scaling and proportion problems, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
Struggling with solve scaling and proportion problems? The real gap is often in one of these earlier topics.
SEAGReady finds the exact step where your child gets stuck, teaches it with worked examples like the one above, and brings it back for review so it sticks.
Free to start · no card needed