Fractions Teaching Resources
Make math lesson planning a breeze with printable fractions worksheets, fun activities, games, and more teaching resources for the elementary classroom.
This collection of curriculum-aligned printable and digital resources has been created just for teachers by the teachers on the Teach Starter team. That means each resource has undergone an in-depth review before being published to ensure it's ready for the classroom and your students! Inside this collection, you'll find editable resources you can easily differentiate for individual learners plus math center activities and fun games to help students understand how to add and divide fractions and more.
New to teaching this section of the math curriculum? Read on for a guide to all things fractions from our teacher team!
What Are Fractions?
It may be basic, but we need to start somewhere! Fractions are, of course, mathematical expressions that represent a part of a whole or a ratio of two quantities. Fractions can be used to represent quantities that are not whole numbers, and they are an important part of arithmetic, algebra, and other areas of math that our students explore throughout their elementary and high school education.
Understanding numerators and denominators is an essential skill as students dive into adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions.
Next, let's dive into the most common topics we cover when we're teaching fractions!
Proper Fractions vs. Improper Fractions
Teaching fractions involves teaching students a lot of new vocabulary! Two terms your class will need to know early on in your lessons are:
- Proper Fractions: This is a fraction where the numerator (the top part) is less than the denominator (the bottom part). A proper fraction represents a value that is between 0 and 1. For example, 1/2 is a proper fraction because the numerator (1) is less than the denominator (2).
- Improper Fractions: This is a fraction where the numerator is greater than or equal to the denominator. An improper fraction represents a value that is greater than or equal to 1. For example, 3/2 is an improper fraction because the numerator (3) is greater than the denominator (2).
What Is a Unit Fraction?
We told you there was a lot of vocabulary involved! A unit fraction is a fraction whose numerator is 1 and whose denominator is a positive integer.
For example, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, etc., are all unit fractions. Unit fractions are also examples of proper fractions, as they are always less than 1 in value.
When working with unit fractions in your classroom, students learn to represent these fractions with visual models where one piece of a partitioned shape is shaded in. Students also learn to build larger fractions by grouping unit fractions together.
As an example, 1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8 = 3/8.
What Is the Least Common Multiple?
Working on fractions with your upper elementary students? You may be tackling the least common multiple this school year. So let's talk about what that means. The least common multiple is another important term to define before diving into adding, subtracting, or comparing fractions.
Sometimes called the LCM, the least common multiple of two or more numbers is the smallest positive integer that is divisible by all of the numbers.
In order to find the LCM of two or more numbers, you can teach students to use one of several methods, including:
- The prime factorization method
- The listing method
- The division method
How Do You Add Fractions?
Once students understand the basics of fractions, it's time to teach how they work in relation to the different operations. We'll start with addition.
To add two or more fractions, students will need to:
- Find a common denominator (also known as the least common denominator or LCD) that is a multiple of the denominators of all the fractions. A common denominator can be found by finding the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators.
- Once students have found the common denominator, they need to learn to convert each fraction so that it has the same denominator as the others. This is done by multiplying both the numerator and denominator of each fraction by the same number so that the denominator is equal to the common denominator.
- After converting the fractions to have the same denominator, they can add the numerators of the converted fractions.
- The denominator will be the least common denominator that was found earlier.
How Do You Subtract Fractions?
Finding the sum of fractions is one thing, but how do students find the difference?
- Students will once again need to find a common denominator — a common multiple of the denominators of the fractions.
- Once they have found a common denominator, they can convert each fraction so that it has the same denominator as the others.
- After converting the fractions to have the same denominator, students can subtract the numerators of the converted fractions to find the numerator of the difference. The denominator of the difference will be the common denominator that they found earlier.
How Do You Multiply Fractions?
Once students have adding and subtracting fractions down, they might find that multiplying is a lot simpler!
To multiply two or more fractions, you simply multiply the numerators (the top parts) together to get the numerator of the product, and then multiply the denominators (the bottom parts) together to get the denominator of the product.
How Do You Divide Fractions?
It's time for one last operation! Dividing fractions is one of the more complicated processes elementary students will have to handle when it comes to working with fractions. They will need to know how to invert fractions before they can dive in, aka flipping the numerator and denominator.
To divide fractions, teach students to:
- Invert the second fraction.
- Multiply the two fractions.
- Simplify the quotient — if possible — by finding the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator and dividing both by it, to get the final answer in simplest form.
How Do You Simplify Fractions?
Simplifying a fraction is pretty, well, simple! It means reducing it to its simplest form. To do this, students will find an equivalent fraction that has the same value but with a smaller numerator and denominator. The numerator and denominator of a simplified fraction have no common factors other than 1.
To simplify a fraction, you can divide both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor. You'll then need to keep dividing by the greatest common factor until it is equal to 1, which means that the fraction can't be simplified any further. And there you have it — a simplified fraction!
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Unit Fraction Flowers Craft Activity
Construct unit fraction flowers and discover different ways unit fractions can occur.
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Fraction Robot Template
Build a robot using these fraction shapes for a fun activity to do with your students when learning about unit fractions.
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Mixed Numbers - Fraction Model Match-Up
Practice matching improper fractions, mixed numbers, bar models, and fraction number lines with this set of 36 match-up cards.
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Equivalent Fractions – Differentiated Math Mazes
Practice your understanding of equivalent fractions with this set of differentiated math mazes.
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Fractions Worksheet Pack – Differentiated
Practice partitioning shapes, shading in fraction models, representing fractions on a number line, and more with this set of differentiated worksheets.
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Equivalent Fractions on a Number Line – Differentiated Worksheets
Practice placing equivalent fractions on a number line with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Equivalent Fractions Chart – Differentiated Worksheets
Use a fraction wall to find equivalent fractions and compare fractions with this set of differentiated worksheets.
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Basic Fractions – Task Cards
Identify unit fractions on a number line, aim to understand fraction models, and discover partitioning shapes into equal parts with this free set of 24 task cards.
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Unit Fraction & Whole Number Division Models – Match-Up Activity
Practice how to divide a unit fraction by a whole number and divide a whole number by a unit fraction with this match-up activity.
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Multiplying Fractions – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Challenge your students to multiply fractions while completing 7 different tasks with this Google slides interactive activity.
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Operations with Fractions – Math Mats
Use these math mats when reviewing fraction operations with your students.
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Multiplying Fractions – Domino Games
Engage students with a dominoes game while practicing how to multiply fractions.
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Dividing Fractions – Differentiated Worksheets
Practice dividing fractions with this set of differentiated worksheets.
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Least Common Multiple – Match-Up Activity
Determine the least common multiple of a set of numbers with this match-up activity.
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Dividing Fractions –Word Problem Task Cards
Solve word problems by dividing fractions and whole numbers with this set of 24 task cards.
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Math Mazes (Equivalent Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages)
Determine equivalent fractions, decimals, and percentages with this puzzling math maze.
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Converting Improper Fractions – Worksheet
Practice converting improper fractions to mixed numbers with this 1-page worksheet.
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Adding and Subtracting Fractions Game
Use this adding and subtracting fractions game as a fun alternative to worksheets.
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Equivalent Fractions Pizza Bingo - Whole, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8
32 different bingo cards to practice finding equivalent fractions involving 1, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8.
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Introduction to Unit Fractions Worksheet Pack
Introduce your students to unit fractions with this set of teacher-created worksheets.
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Unit Fraction Teaching Slides
Teach your students all there is to know about unit fractions using this detailed set of teaching slides.
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Unit Fraction Flipbook
Engage with different unit fractions using this fun interactive flipbook for your students.
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Color by Fraction Worksheet Pack
Help students understand different types of simple fractions in shapes with this set of unit fraction worksheets.
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Unit Fractions Game Show Interactive
Play a game of unit fractions with your students with this fun engaging interactive slide deck.
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Unit Fraction Donut Investigation
Explore unit fractions in this fun donut-themed math investigation for your students.
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Equivalent Fractions – Dominoes
Identify and match equivalent fractions with an exciting game of dominoes!
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Comparing Fractions Board Game
Improve student understanding of how to compare fractions with the same numerators or denominators with this comparing fractions game.
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Fractions on a Number Line - Halves, Fifths, and Tenths
Demonstrate the concept of fractions on a number line with a printable fraction number line display and student reference sheets.
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Comparing Fractions – Task Cards
Practice comparing fractions with the same numerator or denominator with this set of 24 task cards.
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Comparing Fractions – Exit Tickets
Compare fractions with the same numerator or denominator with this set of 24 exit tickets.
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Identifying Fractions – Worksheet
Strengthen student understanding of fraction models, how to identify fractions on a number line, and determine a fraction of a set with this free worksheet.
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Writing About Fractions- Task Cards
Review fraction concepts and practice mathematical constructed response questions with a set of writing about fractions task cards.