When you learned about fractions in school, what did it look like? Did all the examples have to do with pizzas, pies, and chocolate bars? Did you memorize procedures to work with fractions like invert and multiply in order to divide them? Many of these methods focus on getting to an answer without building an understanding of fractions. One way to build fraction understanding is through fraction talks. A Fraction Talk is a discussion about a visual problem involving fractions.
Many such visual problems can be found at Nat Banting's Fraction Talks. In looking at some of the images on this site we can ask, what fraction of the square has been shaded in? If you are not sure, can you think of an estimate that would be too high or too low? Just by drawing lines through a large square, we can start to think about how much of the square each section represents, talk about our thinking, and deepen our understanding.
Nat Banting’s tips for Fraction Talks at home:
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Allow your children to take the first steps—let them reason.
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If your children want to create new possibilities, let them. Altering the diagram is a sense-making activity.
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Highlight familiar sections when they come up (like halves, thirds, quarters, eighths, etc.)
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Allow them to justify with written and spoken language as well as pictures. Notation comes from these—don’t rush it.
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A question like, “How many other ways can you shade…” opens up lots of space for thinking.
Fraction Talks are a great way to engage children in discussions, justify their thinking, and deepen conceptual understanding. For more information and resources about Fraction Talks, you may also be interested in visiting Table Talk Math and Math for Love.
Primary Task:
Happy Halving (from nRich)
Junior Task:
Paper Folding (from youcubed)
Intermediate Tasks:
Peaches Today, Peaches Tomorrow... and Ben's Game (both from nRich)