Encourage students to explain their processes when converting from a mixed number to an improper fraction, and back again. Use this lesson on its own or as support to the lesson Single Strategy for Adding and Subtracting Mixed Numbers.

Many students cringe when they see a subtraction problem with multiple zeros. The “Subtract One” strategy in this lesson involves reducing the top number by one to turn the 0 digits into 9’s and then adding the one back in at the end.