Make Fractions - Practical Maths Activity

A fantastic hands-on resource to enhance children's grasp of fractions is the 'Make Fractions' practical maths activity. Initially, children may require demonstration and clear instructions. The activity includes a variety of shapes such as circles, squares, and rectangles to help children understand that a whole can be represented in different forms. For example, when making a whole that looks like a circle, you might say, "I am dividing my shape into fifths," which means splitting the shape into five equal parts. Children are encouraged to use fraction cards to assist them in accurately dividing their shapes into equal sections, asking whether the pieces displayed on the cards truly represent a fifth or not based on their equality.

The resource is interactive and involves children creating fractions using playdough, with continuous questioning to reinforce the concept of a fraction being equal parts of a whole. They are also prompted to think about the relationship between division and fractions; for instance, dividing 1 by 7 results in a fraction, which they can represent using both cards and playdough. The activity is designed to be engaging and can be extended to games like snap or pairs to match equivalent fractions. As children work through the task, they explore making halves, thirds, quarters, all the way up to tenths, and are asked to consider what happens when a whole is divided into these equal parts. They learn to express the results as fractions, for example, dividing 1 into 2 equals 1/2, and so on, solidifying their understanding of basic fraction concepts in a tangible and enjoyable way.