Same Math › Grade 3 › Fractions on a number line
How do kids put fractions on a number line?
Kids split the space from 0 to 1 into equal parts, then count the parts. To find 3/4, cut 0 to 1 into four equal jumps and count three of them.
- The bottom number says how many equal jumps make 0 to 1.
- The top number says how many jumps to count.
- Three jumps of 1/4 land on 3/4
Why schools teach it
It shows a fraction is a number
With pies and strips, kids can think of a fraction as a shape. The number line shows that 3/4 is a number, sitting between 0 and 1 just as 7 sits between 6 and 8. Third graders are expected to represent fractions on a number line this way (3.NF.A.2).
It also prepares kids for fractions bigger than 1. Keep counting fourths past 1 and you reach 5/4, which is where mixed numbers come from.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
How many equal jumps from 0 to 1?
That's the bottom number.Count the jumps with me: one fourth, two fourths…
Where would 4/4 be?
Right on 1. That surprises a lot of kids.Is 3/4 closer to 0 or to 1?
Skip this
- Counting the tick marks instead of the jumps.Four jumps make five tick marks. Counting ticks is the most common mistake.
- Drawing jumps of different sizes.The jumps must be equal, or the fractions land in the wrong places.
- Starting the count at 1.The count starts at 0. The first jump lands on 1/4.
See it in action
Placing 2/3 on a number line
Draw a line from 0 to 1
Split it into 3 equal jumps
ticks at 1/3 and 2/3Count 2 jumps from 0 and mark it
2/3
If a child marks 2/3 at the second tick from the left end, ask them to count jumps, not ticks.
Free practice sheet
Make a fractions on a number line sheet
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Parents also ask
Why does my child count jumps and not tick marks?
A fraction counts equal parts. Four jumps of a fourth make five tick marks, so counting ticks gives the wrong answer.
Do number lines go past 1?
Yes. Third graders also place fractions like 5/4 and 3/2, which sit between 1 and 2.
Where is 2/2 or 3/3?
On 1. Any fraction with the same top and bottom equals one whole.
How is this connected to fraction strips?
A strip laid flat is a number line. Many classes move from strips to lines.