First, factorise both the top and the bottom expressions. What is the common factor for the top expression? (expect an answer of x). If you factorise out the x, what are you left with? (expect x(x+3))What is the common factor for the bottom expression? (Help them to realise that 4 is the common factor). What does that now give you for the denominator? (4(x+3)). What can you do now to simplify the expression? (Prompt the idea of dividing both numerator and denominator by (x+3)). So what is the fully simplified expression? x/4