Beginning fractions....

[Guest]

We are beginning fractions and I am curious what are your favorite manipulatives for beginning fractions. Also, do you prefer to teach fractions as a circle/pie or as a straight line made up of parts?

 

Thanks!

[snickelfritz]

Cooking is my favorite manipulative. I'm sneaky. I hide some of the increments so that dd has to be creative in getting to the total we need (ie...need 1 1/2 tablespoons, but only have the 1/2 tablespoon or you need 1/2 a tablespoon, but can only find the 1 tablespoon.) If she has trouble thinking it through, we draw it out on paper until she gets to it....but she can increasingly do them in her head. Breakfast foods like pancakes or muffins from scratch are great, because there are soooo many things to be measured.

 

I like to do all of what you listed with fractions to show that it doesn't just mean one thing. If you have 8 pieces of gum and want to split them in half to share, how many does each person get? If you have a pie and want to split it in half, how would you do that?

 

But, seriously....the cooking has really helped dd see fractions the most. And I do try to make sure that some of the time she is estimating fractions out of a whole. If this is a cup of milk and you need to divide it between you and your sister, what would that look like on the measuring cup? Can you estimate? Check it with the 1/2 cup measuring cup to see if you were close. Even though we haven't done anything like common denominators or adding fractions on paper, she has a great understanding of the concepts.

 

We're in the middle of doing this right now, which is why I'm so enthusiastic. :D

[Dinsfamily]

We use both fraction circles and Cuisinaire Rods for fractions depending on the lesson. Fractions are my ds's favorite subject atm.

[MissKNG]

My favorite beginning fraction manipulative was toast. When we first started fractions, I would ask my big girl to slice her toast a certain way - half, thirds, etc. Then she would tell me what fraction of her toast she was eating.

Edited October 18, 2010 by MissKNG

[NanceXToo]

There's a board game called "Make A Pie" which is "a simple game of fractions." Probably good for your kids ages.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Pie-21-Simple-Game-Fractions/dp/B0018P322O

[Heather in VA]

I guess technically we use circles but at the very beginning I do it in terms of a cookie. Kids always understand math in terms of cookies :-). I keep telling my DH that some day I'm going to write Cookie Math.

 

Heather

[Guest]

Some great ideas! Definitely going to incorporate kitchen math! Love the idea of doing toast - that could almost be a daily thing! I love the look of that game, too. I wish Rainbow Resource Ctr. sold it, I have to place an order with them this week, lol. I might have to place an Amazon order then, too. :tongue_smilie:

 

I think I am going to also have my husband make us up some wood circles (he has access to a CNC machine at work) that are going to work like this foam set:

[lmrich]

Pies, cakes and don't forget the Hershey bar!! This helps so much with the visualization. Nothing like making s'mores all in the name of math!