Sunday, February 11, 2018

Elementary Math Lesson: Teaching Fractions


Elementary Math Lesson: Teaching Fractions - Montessori West

Many elementary students struggle with learning fractions. But with the right information and know-how, you can instill a love of numbers in your child that will help them succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. That's why it's so important to take an individual approach when trying to teach them how to calculate fractions.

Consider Their Interests

If you can find the place where your child's interests meet the world of mathematics, they will take to these new concepts like a fish to water.
You can find ways to explain fractions using an activity they have already shown an interest in, and then a seemingly complicated concept like fractions is instantly more familiar and comfortable to them.


1. Legos

Maybe your child loves to create things with Legos. If so, you can use this existing interest to easily explain how fractions work. Use the different colors of their Lego set to give them a visual representation of a fraction. Then, have them draw and label the fraction on a blank sheet of paper.


2. Baseball

If your child has an interest in America's favorite pastime, you can use it to teach them about fractions. For instance, you can play a game of catch as a fun way to demonstrate a real-life example of this skill.
Throw the ball x amount of times – keeping track of the number of times you catch and throw the ball on a sheet of paper. After you're done, help your child write down the fraction that represents how many times they caught it compared to how many times it was thrown.


3. Dominoes

If your family loves game night – dominoes might be the perfect tool to teach your child about fractions. Make up your own domino game to sneak in a math lesson with game night.


4. Pizza

Who doesn't love a hot, cheesy pizza? But you probably didn't realize how easily you can use it to teach your kid about fractions. Next time you order a pie, count how many slices there are and have your child figure out the fractions as it disappears slice by slice.


5. Smartphones

Put the "smart" in smartphone by using it to help your child understand the concept of fractions. There are a lot of great apps designed to make math both fun and easy for young students, such as Squeebles.


Bottom Denominator


Regardless of what subject you're teaching your child, it's important to make it relevant to their everyday experiences. Find something they already enjoy doing, then find a way to teach them about fractions using their unique and pre-existing interests.  Elementary students at the Montessori School of Pleasanton are encouraged to use everyday activities to enhance their learning.  To learn how to incorporate specific Montessori activities into your home life, contact us today to schedule an appointment with our teachers and staff.
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