We started by simply breaking down the definition of fractions. We discussed important vocabulary terms and the parts of a fraction.
Students will use this anchor chart throughout our group meetings as a reference.
I also created a student version of this anchor chart as a reference when they are working on their own, or on practice problems at home.
Click HERE to grab this FREE anchor chart printable to use with your students.
Once I felt that students were mastering different ways to represent fractions on paper, I brought out the Play Dough to tap into some hands-on learning.
First, we worked on representing fractions as part of a group.
Once students showed me they mastered this representation, we moved onto fraction circles and fraction bars. For both, we started by talking about numerators versus denominators. We discussed the vocabulary terms, and I made students show me the number of parts the fraction is broken into (denominator). I gave them plastic knives to make cut the whole into the correct number of part.
After our vocabulary discussion on denominators and numerators, students then used Play Dough to make the fractions.
Last, once I felt students were extremely comfortable with these three representations, I introduced fractions on a number line. I think these tend to be the most difficult for students, so I helped them out by creating the number lines myself. Once students feel more confident with this, I will have them create the number lines on their own.
Looking for fraction resource to use with your students? Check out some of my math resources below!
