3 Ways to Teach Equivalent Fractions

Do your students have a hard time understanding equivalent fractions? Are they struggling to figure out what 3/4 and 1/2 equal? You’re not alone! A lot of people have a tough time with fractions. But don’t worry; there are ways to help your students understand them better. In this blog post, I’ll give you 3 ways to teach equivalent fractions. These methods will help your students see that fractions aren’t as difficult as they may seem at first glance. So read on for some tips that make learning about fractions a breeze for your class!

Make sure you grab the FREE resource at the end of this post!

Finding Equivalent Fractions with Fraction Bars

One way to help students understand equivalent fractions is to use fraction bars. Fraction bars are a visual math model that can be used to compare fractions. For example, if you have two fractions equal to 1/2, you can use fraction bars to show that they are equivalent. The first fraction would have a bar divided into two equal parts, and the second would have a bar divided into four equal parts. Using fraction bars, students can see that the two fractions are equivalent because they both have the same amount of the whole bar.

This fraction worksheet can be a helpful way for students to visualize equivalent fractions and understand how they work. Plus, you can see if they understand this concept.

Equivalent Fractions on Number Lines

Number lines are another way to compare equivalent fractions. Number lines help students see that fractions are values on a number line and that they are simply fractions located at the same spot on the number line, even though they may have different denominators.

For example, if students are asked to compare 1/2 and 2/4, they can create a number line with fractions marked at regular intervals. They would then see that 1/2 and 2/4 are located at the same spot on the number line (halfway between 0 and 1), even though they have different denominators.

This activity can help illustrate to students the concept of equivalent fractions with bar models and number lines.

Use Food as Manipulatives

One of the best ways to teach equivalent fractions is to use food. This can be done by cutting a cake or pizza into different fractions and then asking the students to identify which fractions are equivalent. For example, a pizza cut into 6 slices can be easily divided into 2 halves or 3 thirds.

This activity helps students to understand that fractions can be divided into different parts and still be equal. It also helps to show that different fractions can be used to represent the same amount. You can use graham crackers with lines or cookies, which are just fun!

Using food is a fun and interactive way to teach math, and it will surely be a hit with your students!

Before you go – grab this fun Equivalent Fractions Freebie here.

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Fractions Resources Used in This Post:

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