Fold it, shade it, name it
Give each child paper strips and have them fold one into halves, one into fourths and one into eighths. They shade the same amount on each and line them up. Seeing that 1/2, 2/4 and 4/8 cover the same length beats any rule about multiplying top and bottom.
Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.
Try it withPartitioning Shapes WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →























