So how can you fix this? How can you explain this so they get it?
Let’s start at the beginning:
What is a Fraction?
It’s just breaking something whole into smaller equal parts.
When we start working with young students, we talk about the concept of half. What is half? What exactly does it mean? We take for granted the meaning of these words and assume that kids understand them. But how would you explain the meaning of the word "half" to a 5 year old without using the word “half” itself?
We know that most kids have had to share at some point in their lives. They know how much half a cookie is. They know that when you share something with one other person, the 2 pieces should be the same size (equal). Knowing that they understand this concept, we can build on it. If half is 2 parts that are the same size, then thirds is 3 parts the same size, and so on. Even though it sounds simple, this forms the basic construct for fractions.
Next you need to understand the parts of the fraction.
Let’s start with the Bottom Number. What is it, and why is it there?
The Bottom Number, or the Denominator, is the “name” of the fraction. The root of the word, -nom-, actually means “name.” Words are important in math, too!
So the Denominator tells us 2 things: how many parts our whole is divided into, and what to call these parts. When we see a 4 in the Denominator of a fraction, it means we have broken something into 4 equal parts, and we call those parts "Fourths."
The top number, or the Numerator, is the number of those parts we have. When we see the fraction 3/4, it tells us that we have 3 out of the 4 equal parts.
At this point, you need to remember that there is a fine line between the Numerator and the Denominator. Only 3 out of 2 people will get that fraction joke! (Those are the only two Fractions jokes I know.)
Next, let's learn how to solve fractions or you can read about why your child is struggling with fractions!
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