Fifth grade is a turning point in math. Students go from whole numbers to using fractions with every operation: adding and subtracting with unlike denominators, multiplying, and getting ready to divide.
Fractions are the foundation for what comes next. Decimals, percents, ratios, and algebra are all built on them.
They predict later success. A large study by Robert Siegler and colleagues (2012) found that fifth graders' knowledge of fractions and division predicted their algebra and overall math achievement in high school.
They are everyday math. Recipes, measuring, money, time, and sharing all use fractions.
Fractions to the Rescue gives students lots of practice in short, playful rounds. Every problem comes with a picture that shows what the numbers mean, and every right answer brings an animal home.
What's inside
Intro: numerators and denominators, and fractions as heights.
Equivalent: multiply or divide the top and bottom by the same number.
Adding and Subtracting: find a common denominator first.
Multiplying: top × top, bottom × bottom, and canceling before you multiply.
Dividing: the words dividend, divisor, quotient, and reciprocal, then swap, flip, and multiply.
Improper and Mixed: the words whole number, remainder, improper fraction, and mixed number, then stack whole blocks to turn an improper fraction into a mixed number, and use Emma's formula (whole × bottom + top) to turn it back.