I’ve been teaching for 9 years, and during that time, I’ve noticed myself coming back to one specific concept again and again, no matter which grade I’m teaching:
FRACTIONS!
Each year, I spend a ton of time reteaching my middle school students about fractions – what they represent, finding equivalent fractions, how to simplify fractions, and all of the fraction operations. They’ve learned these things before, but don’t recall them well enough to build off of, so we review and reteaching, taking up SO much of my time!
I know that students learn about fractions in 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade before they get to middle school, but for a wide range of reasons, these concepts aren’t getting cemented in their brains. This leads me to believe that students need more practice. After all, practice builds connections in our brains, which makes perfect.
If you are seeing the same things and feeling the same way, here are my favorite activities, strategies, and freebies for making fraction practice fun, engaging, and effective!
Figure out where to start with a Fraction Pretest!
Determine what skills your students need to review and master with a pretest. This pretest covers fraction skills and concepts from grades 3 – 5, allowing you to see where your students are struggling and where you need to start. Best of all, it’s free for you in the Freebie Library! Enjoy!
Make it stick with Multi-Strategy Guides!
Multi-strategy guides are great for many fraction skills. Many students struggle with fractions because they are so abstract. Multi-strategy guides help students make connections between pictures, number lines, and math strategies, cementing the concepts in their minds! These guides are great for whole-group, small-group, intervention activities, or centers! I’ve created these teaching tools for a wide range of fraction topics, like comparing fractions, converting improper fractions and mixed numbers, and adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers, – check them all out here!
Pick Fun Practice Activities that Self Check!
Pixel art activities are my go-to for independent practice! When students are practicing fraction concepts they aren’t masters in, they need to know if they are right or not. Otherwise, they will continue to practice the skill incorrectly or, worse, sit and wait for their busy teacher to check in on each problem before they continue. Pixel art activities are perfect for this! With answers that change color if students are right or wrong, students know if they are on the right track! I have so many unique and fun versions of this type of activity, so I know you’ll find something your students will love! Check out the options here!
Teach different strategies!
Don’t just teach the same strategies that students have already tried – they didn’t stick for a reason! Instead, focus on logical strategies that students can truly understand. One of my favorite strategies for adding and subtracting unlike fractions is the Fraction List strategy. Get more details on how this strategy works by reading this blog post, and snag my free fraction list templates in the Freebie Library! They are perfect for whole group, small group, or even math centers! Just print and place in dry-erase sleeves, and use again and again!
Use Reference Charts to Make it Flow!
I’m a big fan of reference materials in math class. If I don’t know something, I look it up, and I want my students to be able to do the same so they can help themselves. For some students, finding the best common denominator is a struggle that takes away from their ability to solve larger problems fluently. So, I created this Least Common Denominator Chart as a reference material that can support students by taking the guesswork out of finding a common denominator. Because it works similarly to a multiplication chart, students can easily use it fluently and it helps them keep going in more difficult problems! Snag it for your students here!
What are your favorite strategies or tips for making fractions stick? Let me know in the comments below!
