Fractions for 4th-grade can be FUN and engaging with these stress-free activities.
Fraction Games
- Fraction Dice Games: Whether you want to use regular dice or fraction dice there are a handful of fun games for your students! Students can roll for the numerator/denominator and then compare. You can set a denominator, let students roll for the numerator and they can practice adding and subtracting fractions. Students can roll the dice to create improper fractions and convert them into mixed numbers. I often let my students use 3 dice for this activity to they can add 2 dice together for the numerator. One last fun math dice game is to have students roll 4 dice. 2 dice are added together to make the numerator and 2 added to create the denominator. With their partner, students practice simplifying fractions.
- Fraction Egg Hunt: My all-time FAVORITE way to review fractions is with this springtime Easter egg hunt! I buy some cheap Easter eggs then fill them with these fraction task cards.
- Depending on the weather, I hide them inside or outside! During math, the students take clipboards and recording sheets with them as they hunt for eggs!
- When they find an egg, they solve the problem, put the task card back in the egg, hide the egg for another student to find, and begin looking for their next egg.
- Fraction War: Think the regular War card game with a twist! Instead of each student flipping one card at a time, each student flips 2 cards. The higher card is their denominator and the lower card their numerator. The fraction bar is their pencil. 🙂
- You can check out some of my other favorite math games here: https://shannonmareeteaching.com/4th-grade-multiplication-games-that-kids-beg-to-play/
Fractions for 4th Grade: Read Alouds
Students love a good picture book, and many kids can connect with the story better than a traditional math lesson. These are some great read alouds for 4th-grade fractions.
- Fraction Fun by David Adler: Perfect to pair with the pizza fraction activity I shared above!
- Apple Fractions by Jerry Pallotta: Great real-life fraction examples and covers adding fractions. For an extra treat see if a parent will donate bags of apple slices for the kids to eat while reading the book.
- Fractions in Disguise by Edward Einhorn: Covers equivalent fractions and simplifying fractions with a fun twist.
4th Grade Fractions: Fun Activities
- Make it relevant: try simple cooking lessons or have students design their own fraction pizzas. To make fraction pizzas, students draw a circle and divide it into thirds, fourths, sixths, or eighths. Have them draw their favorite toppings to the various sections or pieces of pizzas. It’s okay and encouraged to overlap toppings as long as they fill the whole section. Finish by having students record what fraction of the pizza each topping covers.
Enrichment opportunity: For early finishers have them find the equivalent fractions for each topping. - Keep it fun: bring in Legos! Legos can be used to teach fractions in SO many ways! Some of my favorite ways to Legos when teaching fractions is comparing values and adding fractions. They are especially helpful for my students who need hands-on or tangible visual reinforcement to understand the concept. Check out this quick YouTube video for an example of how I use them in my small groups: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbmLnP7Qh_4
Teacher tip: Legos work great for teaching area and perimeter hands-on too! - This 1,000 piece Lego set has worked great in my classroom: https://amzn.to/2TebwLe
4th Grade Fractions
Whether it’s teaching adding and subtracting fractions, comparing fractions, finding equivalent fractions…or any skill… it’s crucial to know our students’ level of understanding. The fastest and easiest way I’ve found to do this is through self-grading assessments. This is the resource I use to check in with my students after I teach each fraction standard. Actually, I use it for every 4th-grade math standard I love it so much!
As a new mom and full-time teacher, I found myself stretched to the max. Something had to change…and you can read more about how self-grading assessments changed my life forever right here.
What are YOUR favorite activities for teaching fractions for 4th grade? Drop a comment, I’d love to hear!
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