Fractions can be a tough concept for students to understand! A key part of helping students to understand fractions is by using concrete tools, such as fraction strips, throughout their learning progression.
This post contains a list of four ways that fraction strips can be used in the classroom. This list is not exhaustive, but a starting point. Fraction strips are the focus of this list, but they are not the only fraction manipulative that can be used!
Fractions on a Number Line
Being able to plot fractions on a number line is an extremely important skill! However, many students may struggle with drawing a useable number line because they just can’t get the spacing right.
Over time, students should be able to draw a fractional number line without these guides. But beginning with the fraction strips can help those students who are struggling with their spatial abilities.
Decomposing Fractions
Decomposing fractions helps students to understand:
- unit fractions are one piece of the whole
- why the denominator doesn’t change when fractions are added or subtracted
- how to change an improper fraction to a mixed number
Fraction strips are a great tool to help students decompose fractions! They provide a visual for each of the parts you are breaking a fraction into.
Comparing Fractions
Students need to learn how to use multiple strategies for comparing fractions, such as:
- comparing the numerators when they have common denominators
- comparing the denominators when they have common numerators
- comparing fractions to benchmark fractions
But, before students can use these strategies (or even as they are learning them), they need to explore comparisons through visuals. They might even shock you and come up with the above strategies without your help!
Finding Equivalent Fractions
A major skill needed to do later fraction work the ability to find equivalent fractions is ! Students will eventually need to know to multiply/divide by a fraction equivalent to one to find an equivalent fraction, but they need a conceptual understanding first.
Using fraction strips to find equivalent fractions further solidifies students’ knowledge that equivalent fractions might have different numerators and denominators, but the have the same value!
Using fraction strips, along with other manipulatives, can lead to a better understanding of these early fraction concepts! Students will be more successful when they are introduced to fraction operations later if they have a solid foundation in fraction number sense.
After your students have mastered conceptual understanding of fractions, they will be ready to move on to some procedural practice! Below are some resources I’ve created for this practice.
