What do the top and bottom numbers mean?
In 3/4, the denominator, 4, tells you the whole is divided into four equal parts. The numerator, 3, tells you how many of those parts you have. Read it as “three fourths.”
The size of the whole matters. Half of a small sandwich and half of a large sandwich are both one-half, but they are different amounts of food. When comparing fraction pictures, start with the same-sized whole.
Worked example: 1/2 + 1/4
Imagine one bar divided into four equal pieces. Half the bar covers two of those pieces, so 1/2 = 2/4. This is an equivalent fraction: the amount stays the same while the pieces are named differently.
Now add equal-sized pieces: 2/4 + 1/4 = 3/4. You have three fourths of the original bar.
The denominator stays 4 because the size of each piece has not changed. Adding the denominators would name a different piece size, so 1/2 + 1/4 is not 2/6.
Three ways to make fractions visible
- Fraction strips: fold equal-length strips into halves, fourths, and eighths. Line them up to compare equivalent amounts.
- Number lines: mark 0 and 1, divide the interval equally, and place fractions as numbers between them.
- Equal groups: use 12 counters to show that one-third of the group is 4 counters. Keep track of the whole group of 12.
What to practice next
Once your child can name and compare fractions, move to equivalent fractions and addition or subtraction with equal denominators. Then use equivalent fractions to find a common denominator. Fraction multiplication and division build on that understanding later.
Wolfy includes fraction topics within its K–8 math practice. Choose a suitable grade in the free demo to explore how its hints and worked explanations teach a generated question; the exact demo topic varies. A parent can start a 14-day free trial for the full tutor.