3rd Grade Home Support: Fractions
- Ask your child to break apart a chocolate bar that has an even number of equal sections and display it in different ways, such as halves, thirds, fourths, and sixths. Ask him to show you different non-unit fractional amounts, such as 2/6, 2/3, 3/4, 2/4, and 5/6. By adding a second chocolate bar, your child can create fractions larger than one whole, such as 11/6, 5/3 and 5/4.
- Give your child some measuring cups, several bowls that are exactly the same size, and a pitcher of water. Ask questions like, “What contains more water, 2 one-third cups or 2 one-fourth cups?” Have your child fill the measuring cups with water and then pour the water into the bowls to compare the amounts of water side by side. Talk about why one bowl has more water even though your child added 2 units of water to both bowls.
- Invite your child to watch you chop vegetables or fruit while you are preparing a meal. Talk about fractions while you work. For example, if you are cutting up two carrots that are the same size, cut one into fourths and the other into sixths, and ask whether 3 fourths or 3 sixths is more.