5 Tips to Teach Fractions in 4th & 5th Grade

Teaching fractions in 4th and 5th grade often feels scary, especially if your own experience learning fractions in school left you confused and frustrated. But it doesn’t have to be that way for your students! You can turn fractions into a concept you love to teach and your students love to learn about. Here are my top five tips to make fractions more approachable, engaging, and meaningful in your 4th- and 5th-grade classroom.

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1. Focus on Mindset

Many students (and even teachers) approach a fraction unit with feelings of dread because of negative past experiences. If they didn’t have success with fractions in the past, they believe they won’t be successful with fractions in the future. 

To break this cycle, start with a lesson, game, or activity that gives students an early win. Then, celebrate their success BIG TIME! Celebration gives students a sense of accomplishment and makes their confidence skyrocket. This helps their mindset move from dread to empowerment and makes students want to keep learning about fractions.  

2. Make Fractions Hands-On

Many students enter 4th and 5th grade with an understanding of fractions focused on procedures, not concepts. Shift their learning experience by introducing hands-on and visual methods. Use manipulatives like pattern blocks, blank fraction tiles, and even sticky notes to let students explore fractions. This will help them discover what fractions represent and how they work.

If you're just starting to introduce manipulatives in your fraction lessons, begin small. Give students a problem and some manipulatives, and let them explore. As they become more comfortable, you can dive deeper into their understanding and use these tools more intentionally throughout the unit.

3. Connect Fractions to Real Life

Make fractions relevant by connecting them to everyday life. Plan a themed day—whether it’s baking, construction, or another real-world context—when students solve fraction problems related to the theme. Students are much more engaged when they see how fractions are used outside the classroom. Not only does this boost their interest, but it also makes fractions feel less abstract. Make the day special with themed activities, decor, or even background music to create a memorable learning experience.

4. Ease Into Algorithms

Don’t rush into algorithms too quickly! While it’s tempting to move quickly from hands-on activities to symbols and equations, students need time to make connections first. Ease into algorithms by asking students to represent their thinking with manipulatives, drawn models, and numbers at the same time. 

When students work with more than one representation of fractions at once, they see that the different ways of showing the same problem all represent the same idea. This deepens students’ understanding of fractions and creates those lightbulb moments. Then, you can gradually fade out the manipulatives as they grow more confident and independent with written models.

5. Have Fun with Fractions

Finally, make fractions fun! So many students come to us with a fear of fractions, and our challenge as teachers is to turn that fear into excitement. With hands-on activities, games, and real-world connections, we can make fractions fun for students. Students will work with fractions and fractional thinking all through middle and high school math, so the experience with fractions that students have in 4th and 5th grade will stay with them for years to come. Let’s make sure it’s a positive one! 

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By incorporating these five tips into your fraction lessons, you'll create a more engaging, hands-on, and meaningful learning experience for your students. Which tip are you most excited to try out? Let me know how it goes in your classroom!

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