Can anyone help me please, how do i explain fractions to a 9 year old? maybe in simple terms, thank you in adv

Answer 1

Try this website, there are some useful printable worksheets that may help and games too. Good luck
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/fractiondecimalpercentage/fractions/introduction/

Answer 2

Many of the previous answers are OK, using "attractive tools.

In addition, You can use color papers sheets. For half examples, draw a line on the paper, then explain what means two halves, equality of parts, and let him cut the paper in two halves, and join them to conform the unit again.

With other color paper draw two lines dividing in three the paper, explain the difference, and let him produce the third parts.

Continue with fourths, tenths, and so on.

Mixed with these examples, You can join the pieces to form again the unity.

To make the exercise easier, use different colors, and write on each part the fraction (1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6, 1/8, and so on, so You can explain how many 1/4's are in a 1/2, or 1/8's in a 1/4, or in a 1/2, or even in a unit 1/1 that was not divided at all.

To explain the addition, subtraction of fractions, You can use the same fractional puzzles to explain how You have to operate the general dividends to do properly the addition or subtraction procedures. In some cases, using the same kind of color papers, You will have to divide in more fractions, some of the paper sheets, in order to add, or subtract the similar parts, and join them in a undivided paper to check if the parts conform how much units or none at all.

Answer 3

Make the operation interesting. Tell him a story--the following one
The Mullah's horse: The former Grand Wizier, Mullah Nasrudin was approached by three men with 19 horses. The men asked him to adjudicate the will of their recently dead father which required that his horses be divided among his three sons so that the oldest son receives 1/2, the middle son gets 1/3, and the youngest son would get 1/7. With little hesitation Nasrudin added his own horse to the herd and said, "What is half of 20, 1/4 of 20, and 1/5 of 20" After some time the men replied, "10, 5, and 4". The eldest son then took 10 of the horses, the middle son took 5 of the horses, and the youngest son took 4 of the horses. The Mullah Nasrudin, then took the remaining horse and rode home.

Or the following one

Sailor, coconut, and monkey problem: Five sailors were abandoned on an island. To provide food, they collected all the coconuts they could find. During the night one of the sailors awoke and decided to take his share of the coconuts. He divided the nuts into five equal piles and discovered that one was left over, so he threw the extra coconut to the monkies. He then hid his share and went back to sleep. A little later a second sailor awoke and had the same idea as the first. He divided the remainder of the nuts into five equal piles, discovered also that one was left over, and through it to the monkies before hiding his share. In turn each of the other three sailors did the same - dividing the observable amount into five equal piles, hiding one, throwing one left over to the monkies. The next morning the sailors, looking innocent, divided the remaining nuts into five piles with none left over. Find the smallest number of nuts in the original pile.

Now help him work these out. The association of story-telling with a dry operation likes mathematics makes it interesting and the child enjoys understanding it.

(But make sure before telling him the stories that you understand them and work them out. If you fumble while explaining your child will carry the impression that maths. is indeed a difficult proposition.)

Answer 4

I am no good at maths, but if I had to explain to my grandchild what fractions were, I think I would start with drawing a big circle and make out it was a big cake, or even better, use a cake!
Cut the cake or circle into slices i.e. half a circle, 1/4 circle etc. and explain as you go that each piece is a fraction of the whole cake or circle! Each of the pieces can be cut again into smaller pieces as so on.
You could make a game of it, to keep the child interested, and if using real cake, eat it as you go along!
Good luck!

Answer 5

chocolate bars - they are already partially divided. So you can count the segments, say there are 8. You count 8 segments and then you break the bar in half, 1 bar of chocolate dividd by 2 people = 2 half bars. But each of you also has 4 segments, so you can show that 2 people sharing 8 segments is 2 divided by 8, ie 1/4

Now you eat the chocolate and get another 8 segment bar. This time you break of 2 segments which is a quarter,

Answer 6

Use lots of different things to illustrate fractions - cakes into quarters etc. If you use different shapes and objects eg money, fruit, pieces of paper, it will show that fractions are the constant factor, rather than the object your illustrating with. That should help him/her grasp the concept. Also make it amusing cos then its more fun to learn. And try applying it to every day concepts such as half price tickets, etc then it has a bit more relevance.

Answer 7

Use a pies. Get a big apple pie and cut it into fractions. If he or she gets it right, then some pie wil he or she get. It is important to reflect that a fraction has to be part of the whole

Answer 8

The cake concept is great but to make it always make sense, the figure at the top is how many pieces (of cake or whatever) you actually have, and the figure at the bottom is how many pieces you need to make a whole cake.

Answer 9

top number divided by the bottom, show him on a calculator. Or even show him with a cake or pizza or something cutable. Tell him theres one cake and four people, ask him to divide it evenly.

Answer 10

use a pizza......or graham cracker.....anything that divides.
Another thing you can use is money. (that's a little more confusing- but most youngsters understand the concept of money!)
a whole or 4/4 is better than 3/4 or a pizza.
just like 1 whole dolar is better than 75 cents.