Which is bigger, 3/8 or 5/8? What about 1/3 or 1/5? Year 4 children learn two simple rules for comparing fractions, measure fractions against one half, and find fractions that are equal.
What your child will learn
- Compare fractions with the same denominator
- Compare unit fractions such as 1/3 and 1/5
- Decide whether a fraction is more or less than one half
- Find the missing number in a pair of equivalent fractions
Two rules
When the bottom numbers match, the parts are the same size, so more parts is more: 5/8 is bigger than 3/8. When the top numbers are both 1, fewer parts means bigger parts: 1/3 is bigger than 1/5, because sharing between 3 gives bigger pieces than sharing between 5.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Which is bigger: 4/6 or 3/6?
Show answer
Answer: 4/6. The parts are the same size, so more parts means a bigger fraction: 4/6 is bigger than 3/6.
2. Which is smaller: 1/4 or 1/6?
Show answer
Answer: 1/6. Cutting a whole into fewer parts makes each part bigger, so 1/4 is bigger than 1/6.
3. Which is bigger: 1/7 or 1/3?
Show answer
Answer: 1/3. Cutting a whole into fewer parts makes each part bigger, so 1/3 is bigger than 1/7.
Tips for grown-ups
- Cut two same-sized pieces of paper into thirds and fifths and compare one piece of each.
- Use a chocolate bar or pizza to show that 2/4 and 1/2 are the same amount.
- Ask “Is that more or less than half?” about fractions you meet.