Fractions are one of the most difficult math concepts for students to master. Each year, I see students in 7th and 8th grade who struggle with a wide range of basic fraction skills, including differentiating what a numerator and denominator actually mean. Of course, school closures with COVID-19 did not help! Many teachers and parents alike are wondering what to do when students struggle with fraction operations. However, there are some strategies that can be used to teach fractions that could make a big difference for your struggling students, especially when used consistently!
Use Multiple Strategies
Many of our struggling students are not ready to jump into abstract fraction strategies, such as our typical algorithms. Utilizing multiple strategies to represent each problem can make a big difference for students still in the pictorial or concrete level of understanding as you are moving to the abstract math strategies.
I love representing fraction problems with number lines, pictures, and finally, the number strategy I want students to use. My students feel more confident making connections between visual and concrete strategies and it reinforces a deeper understanding of many math concepts in one fell swoop! Don’t have time to make multi-strategy worksheets yourself? Don’t worry – I’ve done the work for you! Click here to check out my range of fraction multi-strategy intervention printables!
Emphasize Equivalent Fractions
We use equivalent fractions in a wide range of math problems, so having a deep understanding of equal fractions is essential to lasting fraction knowledge. When we rewrite fractions with common denominators, for example, we are really swapping out fractions for their equivalent versions that would work better in each specific problem. Additionally, when we simplify fractions, we are swapping out our answers with equivalent fractions that are easier for our brains to picture or understand. If students don’t understand these connections, they won’t really understand the why behind many fraction strategies – meaning those strategies won’t last over time!
Determine The True Starting Point by Assessing Student Background Knowledge
Understanding 5th-grade fractions doesn’t start on the first day of your fraction unit. Math concepts, especially fraction skills, build on the years of understanding and skills that come before it. I like to compare it to building a house. No matter how much I want to, I can’t just start at the roof. It doesn’t matter if I’m behind schedule and should have been on the roof part by now or if my neighbor, who started building around the same time as me, is building their roof, I can’t just jump ahead in the building process. Where do I have to start instead? The foundation! Once the foundation is strong, I can move on to the walls, electrical, plumbing, and all that makes a great first floor. And then? The second floor! The attic! And finally, the roof, after I’ve built all the great stuff for it to stand on. If your students have cracks or holes in their fraction foundation, your awesome lessons just won’t stick. Instead, use pretests to help figure out what prerequisite skills your students are missing and work those into the start of your unit or lessons.
Frequently Review
Part of why students forget math concepts is that we teach important skills, and then move on to the next thing. Using daily warm-ups at the start of your math block or class is a quick routine that gets students recalling fraction skills that they’ve already learned to solve problems, which strengthens the neural connections in their brains that make it easier to recall the strategies the next time they need it! For example, after your 5th graders learn about adding and subtracting unlike fractions, they should do at least one of these problems every single day to help reinforce those skills and make them automatic! One well-designed fraction problem can reinforce multiple fraction concepts, so plan your problems so students need to simplify, convert, borrow from a whole number, etc!
What intervention strategies are you going to try in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!
