Same Math › Grades 3–4 › Fraction strips
What are fraction strips?
Fraction strips are bars of the same length cut into equal pieces: halves, thirds, fourths and so on. Lining them up lets kids see how big a fraction is and which of two fractions is bigger.
- Every row is one whole, cut into equal pieces.
- More pieces means smaller pieces: a fourth is smaller than a third.
- One half lines up with two fourths: 1/2 = 2/4
Why schools teach it
Kids can see fraction size before they calculate
Third graders learn that 1/4 means one of four equal parts of a whole (3.NF.A.1), and they compare and find equivalent fractions using models (3.NF.A.3). Strips are the most common model because every whole is the same length.
They also fix the most common fraction mistake. Kids expect 1/8 to be bigger than 1/4 because 8 is bigger than 4. One look at the strips shows eighths are the smaller pieces.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
Which piece is bigger, a third or a fourth?
The strips answer it at a glance.How many fourths fit under one half?
Are all the pieces in this strip the same size?
Equal parts is the rule that makes it a fraction.Show me 3/4. What's left to make a whole?
Skip this
The bigger the bottom number, the bigger the fraction.
It's the opposite: more pieces means smaller pieces.- Cutting pieces of different sizes.Fourths must be four equal parts, or it isn't fourths.
Just find a common denominator.
That comes in 4th and 5th grade. Strips build the idea first.
See it in action
Comparing 2/3 and 3/4 with strips
Shade 2 of the 3 pieces on the thirds strip
Shade 3 of the 4 pieces on the fourths strip
Line them up and compare the shaded lengths
3/4 reaches further, so 2/3 < 3/4
Both are one piece away from a whole, and a fourth is the smaller piece. That's why 3/4 is bigger.
Free practice sheet
Make a fraction strips sheet
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Parents also ask
Can we make strips at home?
Yes. Cut paper strips the same length and fold them into halves, fourths and eighths.
What's the difference between a fraction strip and a fraction wall?
A fraction wall is several strips stacked so they line up. Same tool, more rows.
Which fractions do 3rd graders use?
Halves, thirds, fourths, sixths and eighths. Fourth grade adds fifths, tenths, twelfths and hundredths.
When do kids stop using strips?
As they learn common denominators in 4th and 5th grade, though strips stay useful for checking.