Fractions

Our class has started a unit on fractions, called Fair Shares. Your child will be using fractions to make "fair shares" of things like paper "brownies" and pattern block "cookies." By working with these materials, your child will learn about how "wholes" come apart into fractions, and fractions fit together as wholes. We'll talk about which of two shares is larger, and which fractions are really the same (for example, 1/3 is the same as 2/6). Here are some ways that you can help at home:

*When your family really is sharing food, talk about "fair shares" and help your child name fractions. If you want to split the pizza among five people, how can you split it fairly. How much does each person get?

*Cooking is another great way to learn about fractions. How can we measure 3/4 cup? Look together at how the fractions appear on a measuring cup. Doubling recipes, or cutting them in half, can help your child understand how to make new numbers with fractions.

*Throughout the unit, look over your child's math homework. Ask about the fraction work the class is doing, and encourage your child to explain some of the problems to you.

You may be surprised that your child won't be learning step-by-step procedures for working with fractions. Many adults remember the "invert and multiply" rule they learned for dividing fractions, but few can explain how and why this works. Your children will learn the hows and whys -- and, hopefully, will become much more comfortable using fractions.