Teaching Fractions with Appropriate Materials

Submitted by Lisha Yochimowitz on Apr 01, 2022
Student hand over a CVI adapted fraction page with 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4

Teaching fractions starts in preschool and continues into high school years. Creating a strong baseline for success is key. As educators we must provide learning opportunities with appropriate materials for our students with visual impairments.

No Cost Fraction Materials:

  • Fold and cut paper into pieces with your students, start with a half and then into quarters
  • Use an apple and cut into pieces
  • Use play dough or clay and make pies/circles and long tube and cut together into fractions
  • Use a paper plate and divide it into fractions

 

For Purchase Fraction Materials:

Magnetic materials are a plus because they stay in place better than just having them placed on a table which can easily be accidently moved.

Plastic manipulatives of fractions in pie and rectangular form

 

Hands-on Fraction Packs for Students are inexpensive, portable packs that easily fit into a desk.

plastic rectangular manipulatives with factions on them for size comparison

 

Flip-Over Concept Book – Fractions: Nemeth

Flip-Over Concept Books: FRACTIONS is an interactive print and braille book designed to teach elementary students who are blind and visually impaired about fractions, decimals, and percents.

It is from APH (American Printing House for the Blind) and is Federal Quota eligible.

Flip-Over Concept Book of Fractions from APH Cover with fraction examples

 

Free App and Website:

Practice2Master Fractions is a free app from APH (American Printing House for the Blind), which is designed to help students with visual impairments become proficient in fraction calculations. It supplements teachers' instruction by providing students with an unlimited number of problems to practice.

Fraction App logo with fractions 1/3, 1/4, 1/8, 1/2 on it
 

A free website named Toy Theater has a good fraction practice game for some of our visually impaired students.

While I can't recommend that all the activities on this website are good for students with CVI and/or low vision, the fractions practice is definitely one that may work for some.

Bar graph showing 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4

Learning fractions takes place over time with materials that are appropriate for our students with visual impairments. Use common objects to teach fractions in the beginning. I have found during craft time and preparing food a perfect time to talk about fractions and how parts of each item can be shared. 

Do you have a great math lesson to share with us?  Contact: lisha.yochimowitz@perkins.org

 

 

Teadhing Fractions with Appropriate Materials Pin with a paper that has fractions 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 on it with a child's hand reaching for the correct fraction

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