Fractions in Year 4 — introduction

Fractions in Year 4 — introduction

Fractions in Year 4

In Year 2 and Year 3 you met fractions for the first time — halves, quarters, thirds — and you learned to shade parts of a pizza or a chocolate bar. In Year 4 fractions grow up. We start treating them like real numbers: we compare them, add and subtract them, find equivalent ones, and write the same value in two different forms (mixed number, improper fraction).

A quick reminder

A fraction has two numbers stacked over a line:

  • The denominator (bottom) tells us how many equal parts the whole is split into.
  • The numerator (top) tells us how many of those parts we are taking.

So means "split the whole into 4 equal parts, take 3 of them".

What's new this year

1. Equivalent fractions

Two fractions look different but mean the same amount.

All four of these are the same half of a pizza, just cut into more slices.

2. Comparing fractions

When the bottoms (denominators) are the same, the bigger top wins:

When the bottoms are different, you have to rewrite them with the same denominator first (using equivalent fractions).

3. Adding and subtracting (same denominator)

Same denominator? Add or subtract the tops, keep the bottom:

4. Mixed numbers and improper fractions

A fraction bigger than 1 can be written two ways:

  • Improper fraction: (the top is bigger than the bottom)
  • Mixed number: ("one and three quarters")

Both mean the same amount — a whole pizza plus three out of four extra slices.

How fractions of a set work

You can also take a fraction of a group of objects.

of 12 marbles = 12 ÷ 4 = 3 marbles.

The trick: divide by the bottom, then multiply by the top.

of 15 apples = 15 ÷ 3 × 2 = 10 apples.

What you will learn

Try it out