Why kids hate fractions & what you can do
In our many years of experience working with children who struggle with Math, one of the biggest problem areas is fractions. Ask any child who finds Math difficult what they hate most in Math and we guarantee that fractions will be part of that list.
Why is fractions hated so much? The answer is simple. If taught wrongly, fractions can be really confusing. Why is one number on top of another? Why is a fraction with a bigger number at the bottom smaller? Why do we add the numbers at the top but not the numbers at the bottom? Why can’t we add fractions when the bottom numbers are different but why then do we add the numbers on top even though they are different? Wait… do I add the top numbers or the bottom numbers?
This article aims to give you strategies on what you can do to support your child who struggles with understanding fractions.
Auntie Pasta’s Fraction Game
Aunty Pasta’s Fraction Game is a simple game where players race to be the first to complete 4 full pizza pans. Players take turns to spin to determine which pizza fraction they will place on their board. Because there is no need to strategise to win, your students can focus solely on quickly identifying fractions visually. You can also ask your students to compare fractions, e.g. Is ½ or ¼ larger?
Chocolate bars
If your child likes chocolate (and many children do), using a chocolate bar can be one of the least intimidating ways to teach fractions. The incentive of being able to eat the chocolate after the lesson is often a big motivator to keep children persevering. Because the pieces of chocolate are already equally divided, this removes the chore of ensuring equal parts. You can start with naming fractions. For example, if the chocolate bar you have chosen has 12 pieces, one piece is 1/12, two pieces is 2/12, three pieces is 3/12 and so on.
Once your child is proficient with naming fractions, you may introduce the concept of equivalent fractions. This means that 6/12 is also ½, because 6 pieces make up half the chocolate. 4/12 is also ⅓ because 4 pieces make up a third of the chocolate.
This lesson can be combined with reading The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar Fractions Book by Jerry Pallotta. This book is a good book to introduce fractions using chocolate bars although we do not recommend for you to read the entire book in one sitting with a child because it can be confusing, as it begins to introduce more complex concepts.
Pizza Fractions
Pizza fractions do not only provide a clear visual for introducing fractions, they also provide hands on experience as to why the denominators of fractions need to be the same before adding or subtracting them. For example, it’s clear that ¼ + ¼ = 2/4 or ½. This is also a good way to introduce equivalent fractions.
It is also clear that ⅙ cannot be added to ⅓ because they are not the same size. Therefore, the first step is to make the pieces the same size .
Once the pieces are the same size, they can then be added together to make 3/6 which is also equivalent to ½.
Fraction Formula
Once basic concepts in fractions such as naming fractions has been learned, Fraction Formula is a really fun game to reinforce the knowledge. At the basic level, you can ask your students to predict how many ½ or halves they will need to fill the beaker. You can move on to how many ⅓ or thirds, ¼ or quarters, etc.
You can “level up” to equivalent fractions by getting your students to predict how many quarters may be needed to make the same level as a half and how many eighths may be needed to make a quarter or a half.
At the more advanced level, you can ask your students to predict which fraction can be added to the beaker’s existing level to come as close to 1 as possible but without exceeding 1.
Drawing
For adding/subtracting fractions
The process of adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators is often very intimidating and anxiety inducing. It is often the first time children encounter multi-step problems in Math. Drawing a visual makes the process less abstract and supports greater understanding.
Here is an example of how to solve ⅖ + ⅓
Step 1: Represent the first fraction, i.e. ⅖ using a rectangle, split by vertical lines
Step 2: Represent the second fraction, i.e. ⅓ using a rectangle, split by horizontal lines
Step 3: Transfer the horizontal lines from the second fraction (i.e. ⅓) to the first fraction (i.e. ⅖) and rename the fraction as 6/15
Step 4: Transfer the vertical lines from the first fraction (i.e. ⅖) to the second fraction (i.e. ⅓) and rename the fraction as 5/15
Step 5: Count the number of shaded squares in the second fraction and transfer to the first fraction
Step 6: Count the number of shaded squares and name the final fraction, i.e. 11/15
For subtracting fractions (e.g. ⅖ - ⅓), repeat steps 1 to 4.
For step 5, count the number of squares in the second fraction and erase the same number from the first fraction.
Step 6: Count the number of shaded squares and name the final fraction, i.e. 1/15
For multiplication
Multiplying fractions can also be done visually by using the same concept of splitting fractions using horizontal and vertical lines.
Here is an example of how to solve ⅖ X ⅓:
(Note: It is crucial to first explain that ⅖ X ⅓ also means ⅖ of ⅓ so that your child understands what multiplying fractions means)
Step 1: Represent the first fraction (i.e. ⅖) visually.
Step 2: Represent the second fraction (i.e. ⅓) visually using a different colour to shade the lines and make the shading in the opposite direction to the shading in the first fraction.
Step 3: Transfer the horizontal lines from the second fraction (i.e. ⅓) to the first fraction (i.e. ⅖) and rename the fraction.
Step 4: Transfer the vertical lines from the first fraction (i.e. ⅖) to the second fraction (i.e. ⅓)
Step 5: Transfer the shaded areas from the first fraction onto the second fraction
Step 6: Count the number of squares that are shaded in both colours, i.e. 2 and name the fraction, i.e. 2/15
We hope you have found these suggestions helpful. Try them out and let us know what you think!