Teaching Fractions with the Ultimate Fraction Toolkit

“When are we ever going to use this in real life?” Don’t we all love this inevitable question during math class? Basically, it’s the math version of “Are we there yet?”

Fractions are a great example of a math skill we use daily, especially when pizza is involved! Placing our delicious food to the side, fractions can be tricky for some of our students to learn!

Using my Fraction Toolkit, you will receive various classroom activities and tools to help with teaching fractions.

Continue reading to learn about each of the resources in the Fraction Toolkit!

Doodling to Help with Teaching Fractions

The Fraction Terms Doodle page is a huge hit in my classroom! We all know that kids love to doodle, so why not use that to engage them in math?

The Doodle Page adds fun to regular, old note-taking by providing students space to write the vocabulary definitions and bring them to life with some color!

I start the unit by introducing the key vocabulary words we will be using in our fractions unit – denominator, numerator, proper, improper, and reciprocal. Each vocabulary term has space underneath or next to it for the students to write down the definition. Additionally, examples of fractions are placed throughout the page.

I recommend that my students color code the vocabulary word, definition, and example to see which ones go together.

I have my students place the finished page in their math notebooks. We will reference this page throughout our whole fractions unit as a quick and easy way to review the vocabulary. If you do not use notebooks, binders or folders also work. I always stress to my class the importance of keeping it in their binders for safekeeping.

The Fractions Terms Doodle Page PDF includes the student doodle page, a completed sample page that you can use as an example, and an answer key.

Equivalent Fraction Notes and Practice

Year after year, equivalent fractions is always a topic that seems to confuse some students. Having go-to resources to help them review and practice is very helpful when you are teaching fractions. Whether your students need a quick refresher on equivalent fractions or more in-depth teaching, these Fraction Toolkit pages will help.

There are three notes and practice pages included:

• • Equivalent Fractions – “What are They?” notes page

• • Equivalent Fractions – “Finding Common Denominators” notes page

• • Equivalent Fractions – “Simplifying Fractions” notes page

• • Answer Key for all the pages

Altogether, these practice pages are so versatile! I use them in my whole class and small group instruction.

Students can work on them independently, in stations, or as homework. Plus, they can be additional references for students to help with fractions.

Teaching Fractions Using a Fraction Operations Wheel

Another amazing reference tool to help with teaching fractions is a Fraction Operations Wheel! Similar to the doodle notes page, this page makes a great reference tool for students. The Fractions Operations Wheel is divided into four different sections; one for each operation. Inside each section, students can document the steps for adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing fractions along with completing an example problem.

The Fraction Operations Wheel comes in handy to help students who need a few reminders or need a little more practice with the operations.

• You can use this operations wheel by completing one section at a time as you introduce them in your lessons.

• Or, you can complete the entire wheel later in your unit as a review of how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions.
• When finished, this makes a great addition to the math notebook so students can refer back any time they need a reminder.

To best meet the needs of our diverse learners, there are three different versions included of the Fractions Operations Wheel.

• The first version has models in the Addition and Subtraction sections. This is to help reinforce equivalent fractions.
• The second version has the steps for completing the problems written out for each section.
• The third version allows you more flexibility and you can choose what to include in the sections. No models or written steps are included in this one.

Surrounding the wheel are 10 additional problems that have the students practicing all the operations. These can be used in guided whole group, small group instruction, or completed independently.

And don’t worry, answer keys and sample pages are included as well.

Make One Fraction Addition Game

Now that your students have a library of reference pages they can use to help with fractions, let’s shake things up with a fraction game. My students enjoy center activities that are hands-on and social so the Make One Fraction Addition game is great! Games like this can always be added to a center as a fun way to practice and review. In addition to working on adding fractions, students will also be practicing equivalent fractions.

To play, organize your class into groups of 3 or 4.

• Each group will receive one set of 36 fraction cards.
• The goal of the game is to make combinations of fractions from your cards that equal 1.
• For each set of fractions that equal 1, the player scores one point.

In fashion with the game Go Fish, students may ask the other players for a specific card they need. If they have the card, they must give it to the student. If they don’t have the card, the student will draw from the pile.

The game continues until someone runs out of cards. Whoever has the most points wins the game!

The Fraction Addition Game resource includes a list of possible combinations that equal 1. This allows students to play independently and self-check as needed.

Fractions for Classroom Management?

Ready to retire the counting-off method for partners? Looking for an interactive way to assign small groups? Why not use partnering or grouping cards?

This method allows students to review different fraction concepts while also getting into the group needed to complete their next activity. And. . . you can use these any time of the day! You don’t have to be in math class to get this quick review.

They are also great to use for review all year long.

Equivalent Fraction Partnering Cards

Whenever you want to create random partners, these Equivalent Fraction Partnering Cards are fantastic.

This partnering card set has 16 pairs of 2 cards. Quickly grab the number of cards you need so that each student receives one card. Pass out the cards and then give students a couple of minutes to find the card that matches with an equivalent fraction.

• For example, one student may have the fraction 3/4, and their partner will have 12/16.

The more you use this method of pairing students, the faster they will become. When I first started using these in my classroom, I timed them the first few times to give myself an idea. Then I started giving them challenges to beat their previous time. The students enjoy the quick “race” between directions and the activity.

Equivalent Models Grouping Cards

As with the equivalent fraction cards, you can use these Equivalent Models Grouping Cards to help with fractions by grouping students into groups of 3 or 4.

These cards use fraction strips, number lines, fractions in shapes, and fractions as numbers to help students practice using the different representations.

There are 10 sets of 4 cards in this resource. One set of 4 cards will represent the same fraction in different ways.

• One card will have the fraction in number from.
• Another card will have the same fraction shown with colored parts of a shape.
• A third card will have a number line to represent the fraction.
• The fourth card is the fraction using a fraction strip.

If you are making groups of three, just remove one of these cards from each set.

Before finding their partners, students will need to identify the fraction on their cards. Once they identify their fraction, they can start searching for their partners with the same fraction. I will tell them beforehand if they are looking for 2 or 3 other people.

Mixed Numbers / Improper Fractions Grouping Cards

Do your students need extra review regarding mixed numbers and improper fractions? If so, grab the Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions Grouping Cards. I love to use this set of grouping cards because of how flexible it is. I can use these cards to create partnerships, small groups of 3 and small groups of 4.

Each set includes an improper fraction and three equivalent mixed numbers to help students understand that it’s possible to rename an improper fraction in multiple ways. Just use the number of cards from each set that equals the number of people you would like in your groups. Works great for groups of 2, 3, or 4.

Visual Fraction Tools

When teaching fractions, it is important to have different tools available to help with all the different learning styles. Some of our students learn best by listening to catchy songs or making motions for movement. A lot of other learners, when it comes to fractions, learn by visuals.

Fraction Strips

An essential visual tool from the Fraction Toolkit is the Fraction Strips!

The Fraction Strips help students to see the visual representation of fractions. This tool is so helpful when it comes to comparing fractions, finding equivalent fractions, and modeling the different fraction operations. It allows students to “see” the fractions that are otherwise difficult to visualize.

The Fraction Toolkit includes a variety of fraction strip options. This helps make teaching fractions easier for you and learning them easier for your students. The Fraction Strips you will receive include:

• • Colored strips version (halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, eighths, ninths, and tenths).

• • Colored strips version not labeled on strips.

• • Black and white strips (halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, eights, ninths, tenths)

• • A black-and-white version from above with unit fractions labeled

• • Page with 1/2 strips, 1/4 strips, and 1/8 strips (colored and black and white)

• • Page with 1/3 strips, 1/6 strips, and 1/9 strips (colored and black and white)

• • Page with 1/2 strips, 1/5 strips, and 1/10 strips (colored and black and white)

There are multiple ways to use the Fraction Strips to help with fractions in your classroom:

• • Print out a black-and-white copy of the strips you want to use with your students. I have my students label the different sections, color them in themselves, and glue them into their math notebooks.

• • I like to print and laminate the colored versions and keep them on hand as a reference tool. Students know that they can grab one any time they need the visual help with fractions.

In my classroom, we use these quite often. They are an essential visual tool when we are working on understanding fraction concepts, comparing fractions, and identifying equivalent fractions.

Fraction Number Lines

Just like Fraction Strips, Fraction Number Lines are fantastic visual tool to help students see fractions and deepen their understanding of fractions as numbers. There are three different number lines included in the Fraction Toolkit:

1. 1. The Unlabeled Number Line allows you the freedom to label it your preferred way or have your students label it the way they need.
   2. The Number Line with Whole Numbers includes 6 number lines, each sectioned off in different increments. It includes thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, eighths, and tenths.
   3. The Number Line with Fraction Strips includes a number line that is labeled with fractions up to the tenths. For additional assistance, fraction strips are underneath the number line.

Students can practice labeling fractions on a number line, they can use the number line as a visual tool to help with comparing fractions, and they can use them when working on improper fractions or mixed numbers. The number lines can also help as students learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions.

Avoid 3 Common Fraction Shortcuts

In addition to the printable resources already discussed, the Fraction Toolkit also includes a resource just for you, the teacher. In this popular training, you’ll learn about:

• • Three common fraction shortcuts to avoid when teaching fractions

• • How to help your students develop a deeper understanding of fraction concepts.

• • Methods to teach fractions (without shortcuts) that ACTUALLY WORK!

• • Some activities and ideas for using the Fraction Toolkit resources in your classroom

Grab the Fraction Toolkit

Make teaching fractions even easier with The Fraction Toolkit. This resource includes a variety of activities to help you and your students become rock stars with fractions! Grab it for FREE by clicking the image below!

Save these Teaching Fraction Ideas and Activities

Save these ideas and activities for teaching fractions with the Free Fraction Toolkit to your favorite math Pinterest board so you can come back any time you need ideas to use in your classroom.