Fractions and Parts of a Set Resources

Introduce your students to fractions with these resources that give colorful examples and written descriptions. By teaching fractions as being part of a set, students are more able to make real-life connections and absorb what they are learning. By giving both visual graphics and the number equivalent, these worksheets make it easy for students to get the most from their education. Get more practice with our fractions and parts of a whole resources. Find teaching strategies and guided practice for your child with our Fractions and Parts of a Set Skills Guide.

After mastering basic mathematical concepts with whole numbers, your students may be intimidated when being introduced to fractions. When you have a set of objects, you use a fraction to represent a portion of that set mathematically.

When first exposing your students to fractions, you can use actual objects. Start with a set or group of blocks of multiple colors. Have student separate out blocks of a single color. Explain to your students that, while the separated blocks represent a subset of the original group, they still belong to the original set or superset.

Once they understand this aspect, you can teach them to write this as a fraction. Fractions have two parts; the numerator and the denominator. When dealing with fractions as part of a set, the numerator represents the subset of items. The denominator represents the superset from which the subset was taken. They are written with the numerator over the denominator, separated by a line, called the Vinculum:

Numerator
Denominator

They can also be separated by a slash:

Numerator/Denominator

There are also specific ways to read a fraction. Because the numerator represents the subset, it’s read as a number. It is a quantity of pieces. The denominator refers to the name of the pieces, based on the total. For example:

• One of two pieces is called a half
• One of three or more pieces is named by applying the same rule as you would when using a sequence:
  • One of three pieces is a third
  • One of four pieces is a fourth, and so on

Practicing identifying fractions with the resources provided by Education.com above may help your students get comfortable with the concept of fractions as a part of a set.