How to play Fraction Strips

  1. Tap a fraction strip on the wall (a half, a third, a quarter, down to a twelfth).
  2. Tap a row to drop that piece into it. Each row shows its total as you build.
  3. A piece that does not fit is refused, so a row never holds more than it can.
  4. Switch between one whole and two wholes across, so a row can hold a mixed number.
  5. Press Challenge to get a target, such as three quarters, and build a row that adds up to it exactly.

For parents and teachers

Seeing that two halves, three thirds, or a half and two quarters all fill the same row is how equivalent fractions start to make sense. Let a child explore freely first, then use the Challenge to practise building a given amount in more than one way. A good question to ask while they play is "can you make the same row with different pieces?"