Equal parts first
Children learn fractions as equal shares of one whole. Circles and bars show the same idea two ways, so the fraction is not tied to one shape.Curriculum links in England
- Year 1Pupils find and name a half as one of two equal parts and a quarter as one of four equal parts, of shapes, objects and quantities.
- Year 2Thirds join in, and 1/3, 1/4, 2/4 and 3/4 are written as fractions, with 2/4 seen as equal to 1/2.
- Year 3Unit and non-unit fractions with small denominators, tenths, and equivalent fractions shown in diagrams.
Teachers in England say “quarters”, not “fourths”, so read 3/4 aloud as three quarters. The Year 1 guidance treats a half and a quarter as fractions of a set as well as of a shape, so after shading circles and bars, try halving and quartering a group of 8 counters.
The up-to-eighths level suits Year 3, when pupils compare fractions with the same denominator and use diagrams to spot equivalent fractions. The shaded circles and bars here work as those diagrams.
Summarised in our own words from the National Curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study (DfE).
