Fractions

How to do fractions, Free Online Tutoring in Math for Understanding Fractions

How To Do Fractions

How to do fractions is a FREE online tutorial for understanding fractions.  Fractions are abstract.  Even as adults we struggle with questions like, which is bigger 4/7 or 6/13?  Now imagine that you are an elementary child trying to answer that question.  By the way, the answer is 4/7.

How to do fractions is the first article in a series of eleven that teach children a concrete understanding of fractions.  Each article is a complete lesson on fractions.  This first article is an introduction to fractions.  Children are taught to draw a mathematical model for a variety of fractions.  Following articles will teach how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions.  Each lesson includes video tutorials on how to draw a mathematical model that show the addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division of fractions.  By creating these mathematical models, children develop a concrete understanding of fractions, which will help to ensure a successful educational career.

Articles within this series on Fractions:

  1. How to do fractions, Free Online Tutoring in Math for Understanding Fractions
  2. How to Add Fractions (like 4/7 + 3/7 )
  3. How to Subtract Fractions (like 8/9 – 4/9 )
  4. How to Add Fractions with Unlike Denominators (like 2/3 + 3/4 )
  5. How to Subtract Fractions with Unlike Denominators (like 2/3 – 1/4)
  6. How to Add Fractions that are Mixed Numbers (like 2 & 3/4 + 3 & 5/6 )
  7. How to Subtract Fractions that are Mixed Numbers (like 3 & 3/4 – 2 & 5/6)
  8. How to Multiply Fractions (like 2/3 x 5 )
  9. How to Divide Fractions (like 6 ÷ ¾ )
  10. How to Multiply Fractions (like 2/3 x 1/4)
  11. How to Divide Fractions (like ½ ÷ ¼)

This lesson is designed to offer math help online for children who are learning fractions.  There are 2 simple strategies that I teach throughout all 11 steps in understanding fractions.
First – draw a box and cut it into the number of parts represented by the denominator.
Second – color the number of parts represented by the numerator.
This is a simple, yet very effective means of developing a concrete understanding of fraction.  It also forms the building blocks to understanding how to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions.

Mathematical Models
Make Abstract Concepts Concrete!
Illustrating 4/6

Solving problems that deal with fractions is simple when you develop a concrete understanding.  I have had incredible results with with the students in my class!  The strategies taught within this article work with children who have ADHD, Dyslexia, and other learning disabilities.  Virtually every one of my students who has learned the strategies within this HOW TO DO FRACTIONS article has passed the standards based assessment for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions.

I have scaffold the problems in each lesson. 

The first problem in this article is a “Watch Me” problem.  The second is a “Work with Me” problem.  All the rest are “On Your Own” problems. 

*If your child needs a bit more support, they should complete the “On Your Own” problems as a “Work with Me” problem.  I have a number of students with gaps in their learning and others with a variety of  learning disabilities.  I have had incredible success, by having those students complete 5 to 7 problems within each lesson as a “Work with Me” problem.  They play a bit of the video, then pause it  and copy, then watch a bit more, pause it and copy.  My students Play – Pause – and Copy until the entire problem is solved.  This is like having a personal tutor working through each and every problem with your child.  Every one of my students who has used this strategy has passed the Common Core Proficiency Exam.

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How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 1
Watch Me
Puppy In a Seatbelt

You and your mother bake a pan of brownies.  You cut the pan of brownies into 1/6 parts, because there will be six people at your grandmother’s birthday party.  You load the brownies into the car.  Then, you buckle your puppy next to the brownies.  You think your puppy is buckled tight, but you are wrong!  When you look back, you see that your puppy has escaped.  He is eating some of the brownies.

There is only 4/6 of the pan of brownies left.

Can you illustrate how much is left?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!

Press PLAY and Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video below.  Then copy these strategies into your notes!
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It is about a young lady in the time of the Pharos.  She is quite the heroine. This book dovetails perfectly with the sixth grade standard of studying Ancient Egypt.

Could your child benefit from a little One-On-One tutoring?

The problem below is called a “Work with Me” challenge.  This challenge encourages your child to work step-by-step along side me to solve this challenge.  All of the following challenges are called “On Your Own” challenges.  However, many of my students who struggle with fractions will do five or six of the “On Your Own” challenges as a “Work with Me” challenge.  They play the video, pause it, and copy the strategies until they feel comfortable and confident.  Doing the problems as a “Work with Me” challenge is like having a personal tutor.

How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 2
Work With Me
Pizza Stealing Ram

You live in a mountain cabin.  Once a month, your dad drives into town and buys a pizza for you and your mom.  He cuts the pan of pizza into 1/3 parts, because there are three of you eating the pizza.  You all go to the bathroom to wash up for dinner when you hear the front door burst open.  The sound of hooves clip-clop on the kitchen floor.  Your whole family runs into the kitchen and sees a full-grown ram eating part of your pizza.

There is only 2/3 of the pan of pizza left.

Can you illustrate how much is left?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!

Gather your materials and press PLAY.  We’ll solve this problem together, while you watch the math tutorial video below.
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Do your children get frustrated when they make a mistake?

We all make mistakes.  As a matter of fact, making mistakes is an essential part of the learning process.  This is why at the end of each of the following “On Your Own” challenges I encourage children to fix their mistakes.  Finding and fixing your own mistake is the fastest way to learn.

How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 3
On Your Own
Party Crashing Cow

You are celebrating a birthday, so your parents buy a beautiful cake for your party.  All together there are nine people at the party, so your parents cut the cake into 1/9 parts.  You and your friends are climbing the big oak tree in your back yard.  You see the neighbor’s cow leading her baby toward the picnic table.  Your cake is sitting on the picnic table.  It’s far too tempting for the cows.  Before anyone can stop them, the mother cow eats a mouthful, and the baby cow eats a nibble or two.

There is only 5/9 of the cake left.  Can you illustrate how much is left?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!
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How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 4
On Your Own
Lasagna Loving Moose

It’s been a long day of raking leaves and cleaning the back yard.  The good news is that your mother has made you your favorite dish for dinner.  It’s a cheesy pan of lasagna, and it is waiting for you to dig in and chow down.  You can’t wait.  There are seven people at your house for dinner, so your mother cuts the lasagna into 1/7 parts, and sets the dish on your dining room table.

Meanwhile, a young moose has escaped from the zoo.  He is about 3-years old with a new set of antlers.  The moose enters your yard, walks up the steps of your back deck, and enters your dinning room.  He sees the pan of lasagna sitting on the table, dips his head, and begins to munch.  By the time your father can scare him away, the moose has eaten all but 3/7 of the lasagna.

Can you illustrate how much is left?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!
Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!
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How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 5
On Your Own
Pigging Out Pigs

Your grandmother loves to bake bread.  She has just baked a large loaf and the wonderful smell fills your entire kitchen.  There are fifteen aunts, uncles, and cousins at your grandmother’s house, so your grandmother cuts the loaf into 1/15 parts.  She places the loaf on the kitchen counter and walks into the living room to chat with you and all your relatives.

As your grandmother leaves the kitchen, two mother pigs and their piglets sneak in.  There’s a chair next to the counter, and one of the mother pigs uses it to climb onto the counter.  She knocks the loaf to the floor and all the pigs start pigging out.

Before your grandmother can shoo the the pigs away, the pigs have eaten all but 13/15 of the loaf of bread.  Can you illustrate how much is left?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!
Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!
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How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 6
On Your Own
Macaws in a Tree

Six Macaws are sitting in a tree.  They are eating nuts and chattering like birds do when they are happy.  Each bird takes up 1/6 of the tree.  Then four Macaws fly away.

Can you write the fraction that represents the number of birds that are still on the tree?

Can you illustrate it?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!

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How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 7
On Your Own
Owls Hunting

There are eight owls in a dense section of the forest.  They are flying from tree to tree.  Each owl takes up 1/8 of this section of forest.  The owls are hunting for mice, so they can feed their baby owls.  There is a movement in the underbrush and three owls swoop to the ground in hopes to catch dinner.  The three owls fly out of the forest and back home to feed their baby owls.

Can you write the fraction that represents the number of owls that are still hunting this section of forest?  Can you illustrate it?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!
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How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 8
On Your Own
Royal Flycatcher

A red crested bird called the Royal Flycatcher has twenty-four top-feathers that make up his crest.  From time to time, these top-feathers fall out and it can take some time before a new one grows in its place.  Seven of these top-feathers fall out.

Can you write the fraction that represents the number of top-feathers that are sill on this bird’s head?   Can you illustrate it?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!
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How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 9
On Your Own
Baby Deer

There is a baby deer on your back deck.  His feet are dirty, so each board that he steps on will have to be washed.  There are twelve boards in all on your back deck.  The baby deer steps on 9 on those boards.

Can you write the fraction that represents the number of boards on your back deck that will have to be washed?  Can you illustrate it?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!
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How to do Fractions with Online Tutoring in Math: Challenge 10
On Your Own
Pups for Sale

There are seven purebred puppies for sale at an award winning breeder’s home.  A little boy and his mother come to see them, and they buy one of the puppies.  A little later, a little girl and her father come to see the puppies, and they buy another one.

Can you write the fraction that represents the number of puppies that are left?  Can you illustrate it?

Watch this Free Tutoring for Math Video!

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!
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Drill & Kill

Here is where we Drill until we Kill all our mistakes!

  1. The following problems can all be solved with the same strategies we used to solve the first ten problems.
  2. Solve all four problems on each page.
  3. Watch the video & correct your work.
  4. Review your work with your teacher.
  5. If you get all 4 problems correct, your parent or teacher may tell you that you’re ready to move to the next book within this series.

Good Luck!

Drill & Kill Any Mistakes
Challenge
11

Problem 1

Can you illustrate

3/5?

Problem 2

Can you illustrate

7/9?

 

Problem 3

Can you illustrate

1/4?

 

Problem 4

Can you illustrate

4/7?

 

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!

Drill & Kill Any Mistakes
Challenge
12

Problem 1

Can you illustrate

5/6?

Problem 2

Can you illustrate

7/9? 

Problem 3

Can you illustrate

3/4?

Problem 4

Can you illustrate

4/5? 

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!

 

Drill & Kill Any Mistakes
Challenge
13

Problem 1

Can you illustrate

5/8?

Problem 2

Can you illustrate

4/9?

 

Problem 3

Can you illustrate

3/7?

Problem 4

Can you illustrate

2/5?

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!

 

Drill & Kill Any Mistakes
Challenge
14

Problem 1

Can you illustrate

5/7?

 

Problem 2

Can you illustrate

2/9?

 

Problem 3

Can you illustrate

3/8?

Problem 4

Can you illustrate

1/6?

Once you complete the problem – Hit PLAY on the math tutorial video below.  Good Luck!
Need Help with Multiplication?

I have a series on Multiplication that is specifically designed for children who do not have all of their multiplication facts memorized.   The series is designed in a similar manner to this series on division, where each and every problem is linked to a video tutorial.  Here is a link to my series on Multiplication.

Need Help with Division?

I have a series on division that is specifically designed for children who do not have all of their multiplication facts memorized.   The series is designed in a similar manner to this series on multiplication, where each and every problem is linked to a video tutorial.  Here is a link to my series on Division.

Thank you for reading this article!

Want More Tutorials?

TeachersDungeon is an Educational Fantasy Game.  It is 100% FREE!  The game is set to the Common Core Educational Standards, and is web-based, so it can be played on any device.  Many of the questions are accompanied by tutorials like the ones you saw here.

One Last Thing

If you like this post and found it helpful, please leave a brief comment.   As a teacher, perhaps the greatest reward I receive is from parents, children, and fellow teachers who use my strategies of education and succeed.

My mission in life and as an educator is to make people feel empowered, self-assured, and happy about who they are in this world!  We all have gifts to bestow upon our world.  Go forth and do so, and know that you are awesome!

Have a fantastic day – Brian McCoy

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