Fixit with Karen – Understanding and making equivalent fractions

Fractions can be tricky for a lot of children, particularly those with dyscalculia and other maths difficulties. It’s really important that children have lots of opportunity to work on understanding and making equivalent fractions. Learners need to work practically with fractions, to understand what the numbers in the fraction notation represent and to see how changing a fraction affects those numbers. It’s also important to know and use the correct vocabulary:

Denominator: the number on the bottom of the fraction, which represents how many equal parts the whole one is split into altogether.

Numerator: The number on the top of the fraction, which represents the number of parts which we are looking at (the parts that are coloured red etc).

Equivalent fractions: two or more fractions which are recorded differently, but which represent the same amount.

It is often necessary to make equivalent fractions in order to add and subtract fractions. Making an equivalent fraction is a process that uses multiplication facts, so a times table square can provide useful support during this work.

In order to make an equivalent fraction Children often learn to ‘do the same to the bottom and the top’. The ‘top’ just means the numerator, whilst the ‘bottom’ refers to the denominator. So if we multiply the numerator by a chosen number, and then we multiply the denominator by the same number, we will have made an equivalent fraction.

For example:

If we start with the fraction ½ and multiply the numerator and denominator by 2 (1×2=2 and 2×2=4), this results in a new, but equivalent, fraction of 2/4.

Paper folding is a great way to experience and understand this process. Another way to explore equivalent fractions is by using food. Pizza, cake and chocolate can all become fun, motivating resources!

See how to use paper folding to explore equivalent fractions in the video.

Check out other Fixit with Karen videos in our blogs section here –https://dyscalculianetwork.com/insights-events/

Check out Karen’s great website here – https://www.fixitmaths.com/