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PSPKK12317 Comments

How to introduce fractions

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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When we think about how to teach fractions, we should start at the beginning. What are the first concepts children need when learning about fractions, and how can we teach them in a meaningful, hands-on way?

Follow along with my kindergartner’s introduction to fractions!

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

To begin our fractions lesson, I started with a story.

“Imagine that you and your brother finished breakfast and played outside all morning. You had so much fun digging and planting in the dirt that you forgot all about snack time.  In fact, you were so busy you didn’t even hear me call for lunch.

By the time the two of you came in, you were famished!  You asked me what there was to eat, and I said, ‘Well, you didn’t come in for lunch, so all I have left is one mini pizza.  I guess you’ll have to share it.'”

I pulled out a paper pizza and asked my kindergartner, “How many pieces should we cut it into?”

“Two,” he answered.

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

I cut the paper pizza into two.  Holding up the large piece I said, “We’ll give this piece to your brother.  And you can have this smaller piece.  Does that sound fair?”

My Five surprised me by answering, “Yes.”  When I looked unsure he explained, “Because he likes mushrooms, and I don’t.”

In the end he agreed that the pizza was cut most unfairly. 😉

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.
Illustrations copyright © by Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson

Next I pulled out a fun new book called Peg and Cat: The Pizza Problem. I’ve always loved introducing new math concepts with children’s literature, and this book does a great job simplifying the concept of fractions for preschoolers and kindergartners.

In the story, Peg and Cat have a pizza shop. The problem comes when one of their customers orders just “half a pie.”  What is a half?

Through diagrams, more examples, and even a fun little song, Peg and Cat learn that “there are two halves in every whole.”

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

My Five enjoyed the book’s entertaining story and silly characters, as did his younger brother (age four) who’d heard it before and wanted to be sure to hear it a second time.

After we read the book and talked about it, I pulled out some paper pizzas and an ordering form that I’d printed from the book’s free teacher’s guide.  I told my Five that his little brother, big sister and I were going to order pizza.  Like Peg and Cat, he needed to take our orders.

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

He wrote down our first initials and then came to the table, where my Four ordered a whole pizza, my Eight ordered 1 1/2 pizzas, and I ordered 2 1/2 pizzas.

My Five drew circles and semicircles on the ordering form, as he’d learned from Peg and Cat.

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

Next, he went back to the pizza kitchen (his desk), where he cut apart pizzas (also from the free teacher’s guide) and prepared our orders.

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

Lunch was served!  As he gave us each our order, I asked again how much pizza each of us had. My Four, also eager to participate, answered first.  Seeing my order of 2 1/2 pizzas he said, “You have three pizzas.”

But my Five was quick to correct him. “Mom has two and a half pizzas.”

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

Before moving to the next part of our lesson, I wanted to make sure that my Five understood that we can’t describe a part of something using fractions unless it’s divided into equal parts.  My Eight had cut out some shapes for us.  I cut some into equal parts and some into unequal parts.

My Five glued them in the correct columns.

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

Now that my Five understood the basic concepts of whole, half, and equal parts, we were ready for some basic fraction notation. I modeled how to write the fraction “1/2.”  Then I invited my Five to write down other fractions.

I gave him a permanent marker, his favorite writing utensil, but one he’s not allowed to use unsupervised. 🙂

As I named each fraction, he wrote them down on sticky notes.

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

Then I pulled out a graham cracker. I had broken it apart into four equal pieces (tip: use a knife instead of relying on the lines that are baked into the cracker, or you might have a cracker broken into many more than four parts…).

I removed a piece from the cracker and asked him to show the fraction which named how much was taken out.  I helped him locate the note with “1/4” written on it.

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

“What fraction shows how much of the cracker is left?”

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

Then I pulled out some chocolate.  Because even though I don’t remember the teacher, grade, or even the school, I do remember learning fractions with a chocolate bar.

Food.  It’s powerful, people.

He put the pieces of the candy bar together to form one whole.  After I showed him the numeral “1” I asked him to find a fraction that meant the same thing.  After he located “4/4” I gave him a high five and told him he had found an equivalent fraction.

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

By this time, the chocolate was calling his name. He took 1/4 for himself and distributed the remaining 3/4 to his siblings.

And that’s what I call a successful, tasty introduction to fractions!  What are your tips for teaching fractions to kindergartners?

Do you want to know how to teach fractions? These fractions activities are perfect for kindergarten and first grade.

Ideas for extending the lesson

  • Make pizzas out of paper.  Have children cut the pizzas into equal sized pieces and label the back of each piece: 1/2 and 1/2 or 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, and 1/4.
  • Make a paper pizza without adding the toppings.  Draw lines to divide it into fourths. Then add paper toppings.  Have your child make 1/4 with pepperoni, 1/4 with sausage, 1/4 with cheese, and 1/4 with anchovices. Or have him choose his own way to decorate equal parts of the pizza.
  • Have a pizza party! Make mini pizzas out of English muffins.  Give your child a child-safe pizza cutter to divide his pizza into equal pieces.
  • Encourage your child to think more about fractions. Would he rather have 1/2 or 1/8 of a pizza?  Would he rather have 1/3 or 1/6?  After hearing his answer, demonstrate what a piece of each size would look like.  Does he want to change his answer?
  • Experiment with equivalent fractions. How many different ways can you write 1/2?

*This is a sponsored post on behalf of Candlewick Press.  All opinions are mine!

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Filed Under: Math, Fractions Tagged With: first grade, kindergarten, fractions

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Reader Interactions

17 Comments

  1. May

    January 3, 2021 at 2:56 pm

    This is a brilliant idea, Anna! My son will enjoy this math activity. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

    Reply to this comment
    • Heather Groth, Customer Support

      January 4, 2021 at 3:04 pm

      We’re so glad you can use it with him, May! We hope he enjoys it!

      Reply to this comment
  2. Azreen

    May 10, 2019 at 8:23 am

    Thank you so much!!! I really liked your ideas…?? Fantastic

    Reply to this comment
  3. AVIVIT

    January 1, 2018 at 1:12 pm

    hi Anna,
    I really liked your lesson!
    can you tell from which web you printed the pizza? I want to print it for my pupil and I cant find it.
    thank you

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      January 4, 2018 at 8:53 pm

      Go here: http://www.candlewick.com/cat.asp?browse=Title&mode=book&isbn=0763675598&pix=y

      Then click on “download a teacher’s guide” in the left hand column.

      Reply to this comment
  4. Mari

    June 2, 2016 at 12:06 am

    Thank you so much – it is really helpful. We struggle with math a lot. No problem with languages but math is real headache. I tried and it worked – thanks to you 🙂

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      June 7, 2016 at 5:29 pm

      I’m so glad to hear that, Mari!

      Reply to this comment
  5. Carol

    April 11, 2016 at 8:40 am

    Love love love peg and cat as does my five.

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      April 11, 2016 at 5:18 pm

      I think he’d love the book!

      Reply to this comment
  6. Linda Bagzis

    April 8, 2016 at 4:50 pm

    I enjoyed this post, and all your ideas for helping children learn the idea of fractions in a hands-on manner. The book also looks like one that would be attractive to young children. I would use these ideas for any age that was first experiencing the idea of fractions!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      April 11, 2016 at 5:18 pm

      Yes, I think these ideas could easily work up through second grade!

      Reply to this comment
  7. Thiri Singh

    April 6, 2016 at 8:44 am

    Fantastic Lesson. I will definitely use this resource. With Appreciation

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      April 11, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      You’re welcome, Thiri!

      Reply to this comment

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  1. Grab These Free Puzzles to Help Model Addition Of Fractions says:
    June 24, 2021 at 6:36 am

    […] How to Teach Fractions from The Measured Mom […]

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  2. 100 Fraction Activities To Help Your Students Master Fractions says:
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  3. Using Pizza to Teach Fractions – Lesson Plans says:
    April 13, 2021 at 3:38 am

    […] Mom did a whole post on how she used these items with a preschooler and a kindergartner to help teach the basics of fractions. Older kids would like decorating and dividing up the pizza, too, and what could be better than […]

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  4. Week 6 – Rational Number, Fractions, Decimals and Percentages (3 of 3) – Kelly Brown Maths Resources (EDU20009) says:
    May 19, 2019 at 8:22 pm

    […] This resource brings literacy into the maths classroom, working across other key learning areas of the curriculum. This book provides an introduction to fractions and provides many teaching opportunities. Children can get creative by making their own paper pizzas and creating fractions. This allows children to engage in a maths activity without even realising it. The website is here. […]

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