blank'/> Promoting Success: November 2014
         

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

How Are You Going to Teach Fractions?

Here are 12 books about fractions. 

You may watch the video to see the inside pages of each book. 

Scroll down for activities to go along with the books to help you teach about fractions.


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Note: This blog post contains resources from our 
TpT store and our Amazon Associate store.

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Please click HERE for 65+ FREE printable math activities from our TpT store.

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12 Fraction Books in 12 Minutes



Click HERE to see this video on YouTube. 

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#1 

Fraction Fun by David Adler

 fraction fun book for kids

In this book, students learn about fractions with pizza and money. They learn about the numerator and denominator. The pages are very colorful in identifying and comparing fractions. There are 3 activities within this book with paper plates, weighing tissues and drawing on graph paper.

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#2

Pizza Counting by Christina Dobson

 pizza counting fractions book

This book shows pictures of some creative pizzas using math concepts. Most concepts are addition; however, a few pages do address fractions. Fun facts are included about pizzas throughout the book.

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#3

Fraction Action by Loreen Leedy

 fraction action book for kids

This book begins by teaching students about halves, thirds and fourths. The students in the book give examples of each. Your students would enjoy sharing their own examples as well. In the last half of the book, there are three mini stories about fractions in the real world. 

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#4


 fractions as parts of a whole book

In this book, the author uses comical characters to show how fractions work by splitting whole objects into parts. The divide everything from pieces of pizza to groups of people into halves, thirds, tenths and more. Rhyming words are also used in this book.

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#5


 fractions definition

This book introduces halves, thirds and fourths with intriguing puzzles and geometric images. 

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#6


 the wishing club a story about fractions

Petey wishes on the first star he sees, but instead of the dollar he hopes for, he gets only a quarter. The next night his little brother Joey wishes for a cookie--and gets just half of one. The twins, Sally and Samantha, don't fare much better. Try as they might, the children each wind up with a fraction of what they wished for. Can they figure out how to combine their wishes to wind up with one whole, happy pet?

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#7

Working With Fractions by David A. Adler

 working with fractions book for kids

This book uses a birthday party to help students learn about fractions. The pages are full of color and details. Students use fractions with pizza, cake, children, money, and more! They also learn about the numerator and denominator. There is an activity using sheets of paper that students could do along with the book. 

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#8

Superhero School by Aaron Reynolds

 superhero school fraction books

This is fun book about a boy that headed off to Superhero School! However, he didn't think it was very fun because they were only teaching him math concepts. When ice zombies kidnap the teachers, the boy and his classmates must use math concepts, including fractions, to save the day! 

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#9

Piece = Part = Portion by Scott Gifford

 fractions decimals percents with pizza for kids math

This is a simple, little book showing how to write fractions as decimals and percents. Your students will love the real life photographs!

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#10 


 jump kangaroo jump literature book about fractions for kids math

This is a cute story about animals participating in a field day. Your students will learn about fractions as the animals divide into team for a tug-of-war, canoeing race and a swimming relay race. 



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#11 

Polar Bear Math: Learning About Fractions from Klondike and Snow 
 by Ann Whitehead Nagda and Cindy Bickel

 winter math polar bear fractions literature book

Student will love reading about two baby polar bear cubs who were abandoned by their mamma. They were handraised at teh Denver Zoo. The right hand pages tell the story about the cubs growing healthy. The left hand pages tell how fractions were used while raising the bears.

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#12

Fractions = Trouble! by Claudia Mills

 fractions literature book for kids


This is a story about a boy who has always struggled with math. Now, his parents are getting him a tutor to help him learn fractions! Your students will enjoy this 113 page book about math, fractions, family ties and friendship.

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Please click HERE for 65+ FREE printable math activities from our TpT store.

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Shelly Anton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ** This means there are Amazon affiliate links in these blog posts. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through the link. It just means I am trying to save you valuable teacher time by making it easier for you to find great resources for your students, and I earn a few cents for my research and time. Thank you for all you do for kids!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

What is the easiest way to teach equivalent fractions to children?

Are you looking for some fun activities to teach and explain equivalent fractions to children in 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade?

If your students have mastered fractions on a number line and picture fractions, it may be time to teach them equivalent fractions. The easiest way for your students to have a deeper understanding of equivalent fraction concepts is to use fraction models and manipulatives.

Francis Fennell, NCTM President 2006-2008, shared that virtually every time he asked teachers of algebra what they wish their incoming students knew, their response was "fractions." The results of his informal polling were validated in the National Survey of Algebra Teachers compiled by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago for the National Mathematics Advisory Panel of the U.S. Department of Education.

Read below for 12 free ideas for teaching your 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and special education math students about equivalent fractions.

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You will find these skills in the Common Core math standards:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.3
Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.3.A
Understand two fractions as equivalent (equal) if they are the same size, or the same point on a number line.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.3.B
Recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions, e.g., 1/2 = 2/4, 4/6 = 2/3. Explain why the fractions are equivalent, e.g., by using a visual fraction model.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.3.C
Express whole numbers as fractions, and recognize fractions that are equivalent to whole numbers. Examples: Express 3 in the form 3 = 3/1; recognize that 6/1 = 6; locate 4/4 and 1 at the same point of a number line diagram.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.3.D
Compare two fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator by reasoning about their size. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two fractions refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual fraction model.

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Equivalent Fractions Teachers Pay Teachers Promoting-Success

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Note: This blog post contains resources from our TpT store and our Amazon Associate store.


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Please watch this video for six activity ideas to teach equivalent fractions! 

Then scroll down for 6 more ideas!




And now for 6 more ideas...

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#7 Pizza and Paper Plates

Pizza is always a high interest topic for students. 

Student may create their own pizzas with paper plates.

Step 1:  Students color the outer edge of the paper plate for the crust.
Step 2: Students color the inner circle of the paper plate for the sauce.
Step 3: Students cut various shapes from colored construction paper for pizza toppings and glue them onto the "sauce".
Step 4:  When the pizza is dry, turn it over and draw lines for equal fractional parts.  For example, for fourths, draw a line vertically and horizontally.  Cut the pizza.
Step 5: Students may make several kinds of pizza to demonstrate different fractions. (halves, fourths, sixths and eighths)

Click the picture to head over to this blog to see how a paper plate pizza is made:

paper plate pizza fractions

If you're not feeling crafty or don't have classroom time for it, you may wish to purchase these great resources from our Amazon Associate store:


pizza fractions for kids math centers stations


magnetic pizza fractions for kids

You may also like these worksheets from our TpT store:


pizza fractions worksheets for 3rd 4th grade math


Click HERE to download a free fractions worksheet.

free fractions pizza worksheets


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#8 Playing Cards

Fractions Game - Click HERE for free directions.


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Click HERE for directions to play a SLAP FRACTIONS game from Education World.

fractions games with playing cards

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You may also like these fractions playing cards:


fractions playing cards


This 49-card set corresponds exactly to a set of Fraction Bars. Excellent for moving students from the concrete Fraction Bars model to the abstract conceptualization of fractions.

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#9 Task Cards

Brain research supports the connection between movement and learning. Evidence from imaging sources, anatomical studies, and clinical data shows that moderate movement enhances cognitive processing. Task cards offer an easy way to allow movement in the classroom while increasing student achievement!

These FREE samplers will help get you started!

3rd grade fractions free task cards games





free 5th grade math fractions task cards games activities


how to use task cards in your classroom

Are you looking for more ideas on how to use task cards in your classroom? 

Please click here:


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#10 Journal Writing 

Journal writing for math? Absolutely! Math journals are a fun way to your students to show their thinking, work out math problems, and draw pictures to represent concepts.


Students may write fraction word problems in their math journals. 

On the top half of the left side, have the students write a word problem with fractions. 

On the bottom half of the left side, draw a picture to represent the word problem.  

On the top half of the right side, the students will write key details and  a number sentence for the problem. 

On the bottom half of the right side, students will solve the problem and check their work.

Please click here to purchase journals from our Amazon Associate store.


math journals

steps to solving math word problems

You may download free 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade fraction word problem task cards to use in your math centers for fun games and activities. This is a great way to try before you buy!

You may use the printable task cards in your math centers or stations for fun practice or review games and activities, such as a scavenger hunt or SCOOT. They also work well for transition activities, as exit tickets, for morning work, test prep, and as quick formative assessments. Game ideas, a student response form, and answer key are included.

Click HERE for addition and subtraction pizza themed word problems.



Click HERE for more fraction word problems.



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#11 Online Fraction Games 


There are many great websites for free online fraction games. They are a teacher timesaver and introduce your students to fundamental steps of learner in a high-interest way.

Click each title to visit the website hosting each online game:







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#12 Cyberchase Fraction Videos

Click HERE for free fun videos that introduce numerators, denominators and fractions. 

fractions videos for kids

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You may also like these Amazon Associate fraction resources:






equivalent fractions cubes



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Click HERE to view our Teachers Pay Teachers Promoting Success store.


Shelly Anton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ** This means there are Amazon affiliate links in these blog posts. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through the link. It just means I am trying to save you valuable teacher time by making it easier for you to find great resources for your students, and I earn a few cents for my research and time. Thank you for all you do for kids!