Math

Unit 3 Fractions and Decimals

We use a lot of visuals for math.  This week, kids created a flip book about fractions. 

We are studying fractions and will work our way into working with decimals in the next few weeks.  Kids are using a lot of drawings to help them understand how to equally share items (pizza, milk, etc.) Using pictures helps them to understand the concepts being taught.  Because we are often working on word problems, it’s important for kids to understand how to look at a multi-step problem and have strategies to solve it.  We have practiced underlining and highlighting important information within the problem and asking ourselves about the information we know.  We are also practicing using a wide variety of ways to represent fractions.  Number lines, rectangles, and pie shapes are used to show parts of the fraction.  Although we practice using all of these strategies, kids are then encouraged to choose the strategy that works best for them.

Key vocabulary words:  equivalent fractions, denominator, numerator, common denominator, whole unit, tenths, hundredths, centimeter, metric, meter, and millimeter.