Fractions and Fraction Operations for Upper Elementary and Middle School Math

• Since I have so many fraction-related posts for upper elementary and middle school math, I’ve added a couple new ‘summary’ posts as a kind of an index.
• One post (this one) will include the posts about teaching fraction concepts, and the other will summarize the posts about fraction games and activities. 

​So, let’s get to the fraction content posts.

• Many of these posts include a free download or two, which can be accessed by registering for the free Fraction Review Toolkit.

The posts in the fraction series include: 
1) Teaching Fractions in Middle School: Reviewing the Basics

• In this post we talk about the need that always seems to pop up – the need to review certain fraction concepts before moving on to your specific fraction curriculum.
• We review the meanings of fraction terms, how fractions are represented, and a few ways to weave fractions into class even when you aren’t teaching fraction concepts.

2) Teaching Fractions in Middle School: Using Models

• This post addresses the progression of fraction skills through the elementary grades, up to 5th grade (and beyond).
• I share a few examples of using fraction models when adding and subtracting fractions and explore a combination of number lines & fraction strips.

3) Teaching Fractions: Benchmarking and Estimation

• As the title indicates, this post focuses on using benchmarks, explores the 4th grade benchmark standard and includes examples of how to use estimation when adding fractions.

4) Teaching Fractions in Middle School: Finding Equivalent Fractions

• Equivalent fractions are used in many situations, and we look at several of these in this post.
• We look at three ways to find common denominators in order to create equivalent fractions, and we explore representations of equivalent fractions.

• This one is a favorite of mine, because it includes the ladder method. It outlines the steps for finding the least common denominator and explains how this method has been helpful to students.

Fraction Division…Another Way

• This post is dedicated to teaching fraction division using the common denominator method, why this method works, and how my 6th grade students respond to the method.​

Teaching Multiplication of Fractions and Mixed Numbers

• Multiplying mixed numbers can be tricky! Breaking it down with students can be so much fun.
• This post shares a common mistake students make, explains the numerical ‘breakdown’ of a problem and shows the breakdown using different representations.​

Why NOT the Butterfly Method When Adding and Subtracting Fractions?

• I’ve had some pretty interesting experiences with the butterfly method in 6th grade math. This post share how I learned about this method and how my students used it.