Creative Ways to Teach Fractions - From Pizza to Magic Vase

I’ve seen the challenges that many students face when trying to understand fractions. At first glance, this topic seems simple, but for many, it creates confusion and frustration. In this post, I want to explore why fractions can be complex to grasp and share some creative strategies to make teaching them easier.

Fractions are special because they show a part of a whole. This idea can be tough for students to understand. The relationship between the numerator and the denominator can feel abstract, causing some learners to struggle with its meaning.

From my experience, students often have a hard time understanding why fractions are less than whole numbers and how they are made up of parts.

One effective way to teach basic fractions is through my ‘Magic Vase’ concept. Picture your magic vase as the whole number ‘1.’ Imagine it toppled over and broke into several equal pieces. Since it is a magic vase, it breaks into equal parts—3 red and 5 blue pieces.

So, the total number of pieces is 8, which represents the whole vase. If I pick up 3 red pieces, what fraction of the whole vase do they represent?

That would be 3/8.

Now, think about a pizza. If we cut a whole pizza into 8 equal slices, those 8 slices make a whole. If I eat 7 slices, what fraction of the whole remains?

That would be 1/8.

By connecting fractions to real-life situations like sharing food, dividing time, or measuring ingredients while cooking —students can see their practical uses. This connection can help them better understand the concept.

Understanding fractions doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. It is essential to adapt our approaches and teach in different ways to help students gain confidence in fractions.