Unit Fractions Teaching Resources

Explore unit fractions worksheets, games and more printable and digital teacher resources — all created for Aussie teachers!

Whether you're teaching students about ordering unit fractions or explaining how to compare them, this collection of Australian maths curriculum-aligned resources will help you plan your lessons.

What is a unit fraction? How do you teach this maths concept? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including unit fraction examples.

What Are the Numerator and Denominator of a Fraction? Kid-Friendly Definitions

Before we can get into teaching kids unit fractions, it's important that our students understand the different numbers that make up a fraction. Here's how to explain those parts to your students!

Every fraction has two numbers divided by a simple line called the vinculum. These numbers are called the numerator and the denominator of a fraction.

• A numerator is the number on top of the fraction line. This number represents the number of parts we have or are dealing with.
• A denominator is the number on the bottom of the fraction, below the fraction line. This number represents how many parts make up a whole.

Understanding the difference between these two basic parts of a fraction sets the stage for students to now identify unit fractions!

What Is a Unit Fraction? A Kid-Friendly Definition

Here's a simple unit fraction definition for you to share with your students:

A unit fraction is a fraction whose numerator is 1 and whose denominator is a positive integer. In other words? It's a single fractional part!

For example, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, etc., are all unit fractions. Unit fractions are also examples of proper fractions, which are always less than 1 in value.

Teaching How to Order Unit Fractions

Teaching students how to order unit fractions is a great way to help them understand the relative size of different fractions. By listing unit fractions in order from least to greatest or vice versa, kids learn that a smaller denominator leads to a larger fraction.

The easiest way to order unit fractions requires students to look at the denominators.

Because we know that the smaller the denominator is, the larger the fraction is, students can use that bottom number to guide placing the various unit fractions in order.

For example, let's say you want to order the following fractions from least to greatest:

1/3, 1/5, 1/2 and 1/8

Because the smaller denominator creates the largest number, the denominators are placed in reverse numerical order, creating this ordered list:

1/8, 1/5, 1/3, 1/2