Equivalent Fractions: Practice at Home, Grade 3

Equivalent fractions are fractions that name the same amount, such as 1/2 and 2/4. In Grade 3 children meet them for the first time, and a picture comes before any rule.

What your child is working on

Common Core asks children to recognize simple equivalent fractions and explain why they are equal, using number lines and models. Halves, thirds, fourths, sixths and eighths are the focus.

Try it at home

Cut four strips of paper the same length. Leave the first whole. Fold the second in half and the third in four, then shade one half of the second strip and two fourths of the third. Lay them side by side: the shaded parts end in the same place.

Fold a fourth strip in eighths, and let your child find all the fractions that match the half: 2/4, 4/8. Write them on the strips.

Where children slip

Some children think a bigger bottom number means a bigger fraction, because 8 is bigger than 2. The strips can help: eighths are smaller pieces, so you need more of them.

Practice online

The free Equivalent fractions page mixes models and numbers. For a gentler start, try equivalent fractions with halves, fourths and eighths, or browse the Grade 3 skills.