Teaching fractions to 3rd graders can be fun and lively if you make use of the right methods and tools. In this post, I’ll talk about how to teach fractions to 3rd graders with some of my favorite teaching strategies that have worked wonders in my classroom for introducing and teaching 3rd graders about fractions. We’ll explore some of the best manipulatives, art projects, crafts, and games that you can incorporate into your lessons to make fractions more tangible and enjoyable.
How to Teach Fractions to 3rd Graders
Use Manipulatives
My first tip for how to teach fractions is to use ALL the manipulatives! Fraction strips and circles are two versatile tools that every 3rd-grade teacher should have in their toolbox. Fraction strips allow students to see the relationship between different fractions, and can be used to compare and order fractions. Fraction circles can be used to teach equivalent fractions and to help students visualize how fractions fit together. An added bonus is that these manipulatives are fun to use!
Use Food
The second tip for how to teach fractions is to tap into something all kids love…food! Have you ever noticed that Hershey bars come partitioned into fractions? So do graham crackers for that matter! Now, we only need to work in marshmallows to make fraction s’mores. How about jumbo marshmallows cut into halves or fourths? Or use a handful of colorful marshmallows and record what fractional part of the set each color represents.
Don’t forget about fraction pizzas and pies to get your students hungry to learn more about fractions! Plus, kids can 100% relate to sharing equally when it comes to food, so it’s a perfect real-world application for fractions!
Use Number Lines
Tip #3 for how to teach fractions: number lines! Number lines are great for showing students how fractions, decimals, and percentages compare to each other. They can be used to explain the concept of a unit fraction and even find equivalent fractions.
A simple number line is easy to make. My favorite tip for getting kids to draw their own number lines is to use tape register paper. Tear off a length for each student. Have them mark 0 on one end and 1 on the other. Then they can fold the long strip of paper in half to find the 1/2 mark. Fold it again to find 1/4 and 3/4. They can keep folding and marking points on the number line until it’s full!
Use Legos and Other Building Blocks
My next tip for how to teach fractions involves tapping into your students’ love of toys. Get your future architects thinking about fractions by challenging them to build patterns using the long blocks and matching them with smaller blocks of equal lengths that represent fractional parts of the bigger block.
Use Craft Activities
The next tip for how to teach fractions involves unleashing the creative spirit in your students. There are endless opportunities to incorporate fractions into craft projects! You can have students create pompom caterpillars with fractional directions such as ½ must be yellow, ¼ must be green, and 2/8 must be purple. Or how about creating pony bead bracelets using fraction requirements? Or you can give everyone a ball of play dough that they can shape into any shape you want to work with and then practice cutting it into fractional parts! These crafts allow students to see how fractions make up a whole, and it also gives them something fun to take home and show their families.
Use Fraction Games
My final tip for how to teach fractions is to turn learning into a game. Playing games is an excellent way to make learning more fun and engaging for young students. Fortunately, there are tons of fraction games that you can use in your classroom to reinforce what you’ve taught during your fractions lesson.
You can find my most requested fraction games right here! These games are not only fun for students, but they also give them the opportunity to practice their fractions in a low-pressure, enjoyable way. And if you’re avoiding games because of poor student behavior, try this free set of math game behavior expectation posters to bring a little order back to game time!
With the right strategies and activities, you can make fractions fun, engaging, and memorable for your students, and I have plenty more fraction ideas to share in this 3rd grade fraction unit!
Manipulatives like fraction strips and circles, art and craft activities, game activities, and real-world examples are all effective ways to teach fraction concepts. And who knows, you might just create a love for fractions in your students that they carry with them for a lifetime! I hope these strategies for how to teach fractions have inspired you to try something new in your fractions lesson, and I wish you all the best of luck in your teaching journey!