lessonfieldWhat they’re learning
Your child is learning to add and subtract fractions when the pieces are the same size. When denominators are the same, the denominator names the size of the pieces and the numerator tells how many of those pieces there are.
Explain it to my child
If we have 2 eighths and add 3 more eighths, we now have 5 eighths. The pieces are still eighths, so 2/8 + 3/8 = 5/8.
Try it together
Use a measuring cup, fraction strips made from paper, or slices of the same food. Show 2/8 and add another 3/8. Ask why the pieces are still eighths. Repeat with subtraction.
Practice
- 2/7 + 3/7 = ?
- 6/10 − 2/10 = ?
- 1/8 + 5/8 = ?
- A recipe uses 3/4 cup of oats and then another 1/4 cup. How much is used altogether?
- You have 7/9 of a strip and cut away 3/9. How much remains?
Check understanding
- Can your child explain why the denominator stays the same when adding like fractions?
- Can they spot when an answer such as 5/14 for 2/7 + 3/7 does not make sense?
Parent answer guide
- 5/7
Add the number of sevenths. - 4/10 (or 2/5)
Four tenths is correct; simplifying is also fine. - 6/8 (or 3/4)
Six eighths can simplify to three quarters. - 1 cup
3/4 + 1/4 = 4/4 = 1. - 4/9
Subtract the number of ninths.
Ontario curriculum connection
Grade 5 · Mathematics
Number · Fractions
Curriculum expectation: B2.5 — Add and subtract fractions with like denominators, using equivalent fractions where appropriate