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I have always liked letting my kids play with measuring cups to get the hang of fractions. We have also used those magnet bars that have a whole, then 2 one-half, 4 one-quarters etc....My goal was always to have the kids see the relationships (ie- 2 quarters are equal to a half) and how the fraction was expressed.

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We're at the end of Singapore Math 2B and the pictures/diagrams help. I think I did the apple-thing (where I cut the apple in half and then cut it into quarters), but my daughter just kinda rolled her eyes (she's probably rolling her eyes right now).

 

What math program do you use? Singapore Math 2B has a short (10 pg) chapter on introduction to fractions, with 5 workbook exercises to go along with the text - in case you have access to that particular textbook. :tongue_smilie: Now, I'm wondering what's in 3A (more fractions?) - I'd better buy that soon. :D

 

Good luck with your fractions! :001_smile:

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I would get Family Math from the library, make a fraction kit (from Family Math) and play some of the fraction games. :)

 

ETA: I think you could probably buy the book Family Math for about the same price as a game. Might be worth the cost just to have access to all of the activities whenever you want to do some fun math.

 

Cat

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We have a pie game that my grandma purchased at a garage sale when *I* was a little girl. It's great; I wish they still made it.

 

Oh, THIS GAME looks similar, only with pizza. I actually always phrase fractions in the terms of pizza. :tongue_smilie:

 

This brings to mind the Standard Deviants song about fractions. "Let's say you like to eat pie. But you can't eat a whole one...".

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Not a game, but we have used Life of Fred Fractions this summer and Fun and Fabulous Fraction Stories (or something similar that I picked up on Amazon)...both are a fun and lighthearted real-world story approach to the concept. We use Singapore math, which hit fractions in 3B at a lightening speed, and we blinked and missed it. :tongue_smilie: Thus, the need for review. Fractions are pretty abstract, imo. I use pizza and candy comparisons when possible. I think it is good to get kids thinking about fractions in several different "shape" configurations - pizza and hershey's bars cover this pretty well.:001_smile:

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We just finished A Beka 4th grade math and spent most of the year with a whiteboard. I drew a million pictures of pizzas, cakes, pies, groups of people, fruit, legos, and on and on and on and on. I thought I might lose all my hair but finally one day while learning about dividing fractions the lightbulb came on! It helped a lot to make it real-world, e.g., for your birthday you have a cake. Your guests eat 2/3 of the cake. After they leave, you and your 2 sisters eat the rest. Your portion is 1/3 of 1/3... all this while drawing a really hideous looking cake.

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We have a pie game that my grandma purchased at a garage sale when *I* was a little girl. It's great; I wish they still made it.

 

Oh, THIS GAME looks similar, only with pizza. I actually always phrase fractions in the terms of pizza. :tongue_smilie:

 

Pizza is my answer too! :) No official game, just order the pie and go to town finding all the different fractions you can. You can even ask them to cut it into sixteenths for even more fun. :D

 

Baking cookies in rows on cookie sheets also works great. Take them off and call out the fractions gone or remaining - same thing when it comes to eating them.

 

Okay, I'm noticing a pattern with these ideas ... Along those same lines, a large candy bar broken into squares can work well too. If nothing else, your dc will be asking to do more work with fractions. :lol:

 

Oh - non food idea - make a matching game with different fractions. For instance, make one card with 1/2 on it and another with 3/6 and those would be a match. Make up a good number of them, and play concentration.

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Not a game, but we have used Life of Fred Fractions this summer and Fun and Fabulous Fraction Stories (or something similar that I picked up on Amazon)...both are a fun and lighthearted real-world story approach to the concept. We use Singapore math, which hit fractions in 3B at a lightening speed, and we blinked and missed it. :tongue_smilie: Thus, the need for review.:001_smile:

 

I also plan on buying Life of Fred Fractions later this year. So, fractions pop up again in 3B? We're in 2B and there is an introduction to fractions in there too.

 

Singapore kinda flies through stuff sometimes...:glare: And then it jumps around...and then it goes over stuff that's already been talked about...:001_huh:

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If you were to buy a game to help teach fractions, which one(s) would it be and why? Or is there a better way to get that concept across? thanks.

 

I have to put a plug in for MUS. The books are by topic so it would be book Epsilon. The fraction overlays used are AMAZING, I make all my kids do it regardless of what program they are in.

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I have to put a plug in for MUS. The books are by topic so it would be book Epsilon. The fraction overlays used are AMAZING, I make all my kids do it regardless of what program they are in.

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

We've done LoF here too, but MUS is SO visual an tactile. I've never seen fractions so well explained.

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