2 lessons · Ages 5-6, 7-8
Fractions for kids
Equal parts of a whole.
A fraction is what happens when we split something into equal parts. The bottom number tells you how many parts the whole is cut into. The top number tells you how many of those parts you have. That's it.
1
Halves and Quarters
Splitting a whole into 2 or 4 equal parts.
A half is not "two pieces" — it is two equal pieces of one whole. Getting equality into the definition early, around ages five to seven, prevents most later fraction confusion.
5 min · Age 5-6
2
Equivalent Fractions
Different names for the same amount.
Equivalent fractions are different names for the same amount: two quarters is one half. Seeing them land on the same point of a number line — rather than being told to multiply top and bottom — is what makes equivalence meaningful. Typically ages seven to eight.
6 min · Age 7-8