A fun 10-minute activity to do with your child!
Your child is learning about adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators. This skill is used every day in cooking, measuring, and sharing! This is an important skill for the Florida FAST test. Below are simple activities you can do at home to help your child succeed. No math expertise needed!
Ask your child: "If I need 1/2 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of sugar, how much total do I need?" Let them figure out they need a common denominator.
Guide them: "Can we add halves and fourths directly? No! What if we convert 1/2 to fourths? 1/2 = 2/4. Now we can add: 2/4 + 1/4 = 3/4 cup total!"
Let them measure to verify: Pour 1/2 cup, then add 1/4 cup. Does it equal 3/4 cup? Yes!
Try another: "A recipe needs 2/3 cup butter. We used 1/4 cup. How much more do we need?" (2/3 - 1/4 = 8/12 - 3/12 = 5/12 cup more)
"To add or subtract fractions, they need to have the SAME denominator. It's like speaking the same language - halves and thirds can't talk to each other until we convert them!"
Scenario: "You ate 1/4 of a pizza. Your brother ate 1/3 of the pizza. How much pizza was eaten in total?"
Find LCD: "What number works for both 4 and 3?" (12) "So 1/4 = 3/12 and 1/3 = 4/12."
Add: "3/12 + 4/12 = 7/12 of the pizza was eaten."
Extension: "How much pizza is LEFT?" (12/12 - 7/12 = 5/12 left)
"Finding common denominators is like finding a common language. Just like translating English and Spanish into a common language so everyone understands, we translate fractions to a common denominator so we can add them!"
"You practiced piano for 1/2 hour and read for 1/3 hour. How long did you spend on both activities?"
Find LCD of 2 and 3: "Multiples of 2: 2, 4, 6... Multiples of 3: 3, 6... LCD = 6"
Convert and add: "1/2 = 3/6 and 1/3 = 2/6. So 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6 of an hour (or 50 minutes!)"
"When adding fractions: Add the NUMERATORS only, keep the DENOMINATOR the same! Never add the denominators - that's the #1 mistake students make!"
Just 10 minutes of practice at home can make a big impact on your child's confidence and success. Adding and subtracting fractions is a skill they'll use throughout their math education and in everyday life. Thank you for being part of their learning journey!
Su hijo esta aprendiendo a sumar y restar fracciones con denominadores diferentes. Para sumar o restar fracciones, primero necesitan tener el MISMO denominador. Esto se llama el "minimo comun denominador" (LCD). Por ejemplo: 1/2 + 1/3 necesita LCD de 6, entonces 1/2 = 3/6 y 1/3 = 2/6. Ahora podemos sumar: 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6. Las actividades de arriba usan cocina y pizza para practicar. Gracias por apoyar el aprendizaje de su hijo!