Fractions Explained for Kids — A Parent's Visual Guide

Why Fractions Are So Tricky for Children

When children learn fractions, they're making a huge cognitive leap. Up until this point, numbers have represented whole quantities. Now they're being asked to understand that a number can represent a part of something.

The terminology doesn't help. Words like "numerator" and "denominator" sound intimidating. The concept of "equal parts" is more abstract than it appears — a pizza cut into six wonky slices isn't actually divided into sixths.

Add to that the fact that fraction notation (½) looks nothing like the whole numbers they've been working with, and you can see why this topic causes so much confusion.

The Step-by-Step Approach to Teaching Fractions

The White Rose Maths approach — used in thousands of UK primary schools — emphasises a careful progression from physical objects to abstract notation. Here's how to follow it at home.

Step 1: Start with Physical Objects

Before you introduce any written symbols, let your child physically divide things. Use food (pizza, chocolate bars, fruit), LEGO bricks, or even playdough.

The crucial concept here is equal parts. If you're showing halves with a chocolate bar, the two pieces need to be the same size. Let your child do the dividing — they'll quickly learn that eyeballing it doesn't work.

Language matters at this stage. Say "one half of the pizza" rather than just "one half." The word "of" reinforces that a fraction is part of a whole.

Step 2: Move to Pictures and Diagrams

Once your child is comfortable with physical fractions, introduce visual representations. Fraction bars, circles, and number lines are all excellent tools.

Encourage your child to draw their own fraction diagrams. This is far more powerful than completing worksheets. When they draw three-quarters of a rectangle, they're building a mental model of what ¾ actually means.

NRICH (from Cambridge University) offers brilliant visual fraction problems that go beyond basic "colour in the fraction" exercises.

Step 3: Introduce the Language and Notation

Only after your child can confidently identify and create fractions with objects and pictures should you introduce formal terminology.

Explain that the number on top (numerator) tells us how many parts we have. The number on the bottom (denominator) tells us how many equal parts the whole has been divided into.

A helpful way to remember: the denominator is down, and it tells us the divisions.

Step 4: Connect to Real Life

Fractions aren't just a school maths topic. They're everywhere in daily life, and making these connections helps children see the point of learning them.

Cooking is the classic example. Halving or doubling a recipe requires fraction skills. Baking is even better because measurements need to be precise.

Other real-world contexts: sharing sweets fairly among friends, reading analogue clocks (quarter past, half past), measuring for DIY projects, and understanding sale prices (half price, a third off).

Year-by-Year Fraction Expectations

The National Curriculum introduces fractions gradually. Here's what children should know at each stage, based on White Rose Maths progression.

Year 3 Fractions

In Year 3, children learn to recognise, find, and write fractions of shapes and quantities. They work with halves, thirds, quarters, and tenths.

A key concept introduced this year is equivalent fractions. Children learn that ½ is the same as 2/4 or 3/6 using visual representations. They don't need to calculate equivalence yet — just recognise it.

They also begin comparing and ordering simple fractions (e.g., which is bigger, ½ or ⅓?).

Year 4 Fractions

Year 4 is when fractions become more formal. Children learn to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator (e.g., ¼ + ¼ = ½).

They explore equivalent fractions more systematically and start working with hundredths as well as tenths. This lays crucial groundwork for decimals and percentages.

Fractions greater than 1 (like 5/4) are introduced, though the terminology "improper fraction" typically comes later.

Year 5 Fractions

By Year 5, children work with mixed numbers (like 2 ¾) and improper fractions, converting between the two.

They add and subtract fractions with different denominators and begin multiplying fractions by whole numbers. The link between fractions, decimals, and percentages becomes explicit.

Year 5 is also when children start to see fractions as numbers in their own right, not just "parts of things." This is a significant conceptual shift.

Common Mistakes Parents Make

Even well-meaning parents can accidentally make fractions harder. Here are the pitfalls to avoid.

Rushing to Algorithms

The temptation is to teach tricks. "To add fractions, find a common denominator." "To multiply fractions, just cross multiply."

But without conceptual understanding, these rules are meaningless. Your child might get the right answer on a worksheet but have no idea what they've actually calculated.

Spend time on the why before the how. If your child truly understands that ¼ + ¼ means putting together two quarter-pieces, the idea that it equals ½ becomes obvious.

Using Only One Type of Model

Some parents stick exclusively to pizza or pie diagrams. While these are useful, children need to see fractions represented in multiple ways — bars, number lines, sets of objects.

Different models illuminate different aspects. Number lines, for example, make it much clearer that fractions are numbers that sit between whole numbers.

Avoiding "Hard" Fractions

It's natural to stick with halves and quarters because they feel manageable. But children need experience with thirds, fifths, sixths, and beyond.

The BBC Bitesize fractions resources provide excellent practice across a range of denominators.

Five Fraction Activities You Can Do at Home Today

1. Cooking and Baking

Make a recipe together, then halve it or double it. Pancakes are ideal because you can physically see the fractions of cups of flour, milk, etc.

2. Building with LEGO

Create a tower with 12 bricks. Ask your child to remove ½, ⅓, or ¼ of the bricks. This makes equivalent fractions tangible (6/12 = ½).

3. Sharing Sweets

Give your child a bag of 20 sweets and ask them to share them fairly among family members. What fraction does each person get? What if someone doesn't want theirs?

4. Fraction Bingo

Create bingo cards with fractions written as words, symbols, and pictures. Call out "one half" and children must find any representation of ½ on their card.

5. Estimation Games

Fill a jar halfway with pasta. Ask your child to estimate what ¼ full would look like, or ¾. This builds intuition about fraction size.

When to Worry vs When It's Normal Confusion

Fractions are genuinely difficult. It's normal for children to take months (or even years) to become fully confident.

If your Year 3 child still mixes up the numerator and denominator, that's developmentally typical. If your Year 5 child still needs to draw diagrams for simple fractions, that's not a red flag — it's good practice.

You might consider extra support if your child consistently can't identify simple fractions (like ½) of shapes or objects after repeated practice, or if they're in Year 6 and still can't compare basic fractions like ½ and ⅓.

But most children simply need more time and more varied practice. Visual methods, real-world contexts, and patience are your best tools.