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.
A recipe for 3 scones needs 90g of flour. Ciara wants to make 9 scones for her family. How much flour does she need?
Answer: A. 270g
Step 1: Find the scale factor 9 scones is 3 times as many as 3 scones (9 ÷ 3 = 3) Step 2: Apply the same multiplier to the flour 90g × 3 = 270g Ciara needs 270g of flour.
Stuck? Start here: How many times more scones is Ciara making? Compare 9 to 3.
At a shop in Lisburn, 4 apples cost £2. How much would 7 apples cost?
Answer: A. £3.50
Step 1: Find the cost of 1 apple 4 apples = £2 1 apple = £2 ÷ 4 = £0.50 Step 2: Calculate for 7 apples 7 × £0.50 = £3.50 7 apples cost £3.50.
Stuck? Start here: First find the cost of ONE apple. What's £2 divided by 4?
A tap fills 20 litres in 4 minutes. How many litres will it fill in 10 minutes?
Answer: B. 50 litres
Step 1: Find the rate per minute 4 minutes = 20 litres 1 minute = 20 ÷ 4 = 5 litres Step 2: Calculate for 10 minutes 10 × 5 = 50 litres The tap fills 50 litres in 10 minutes.
Stuck? Start here: First find how many litres per minute. What's 20 litres divided by 4 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. Aoife wants to make 12 fairy cakes for the school bake sale.
How much flour does she need?
4 cakes → 120g, 12 cakes → ?
Step 1 of 4
A recipe for 4 fairy cakes needs 120g of flour. Aoife wants to make 12 fairy cakes for the school bake sale.
How much flour does she need?
Aoife 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!
Watch out: 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.