Fractions

The boys got to play with pie fractions for the first time today.

Hunter has done fractions before - during the "problem solving" stage of the GD math program, many of the equations we did involved fractions (one half of ten equals five, one fourth of one hundred equals twenty five, etc.) Just by hearing the equations spoken out, he figured out what "half", "third", "fifth", etc. meant, and could easily tell me what half of eighty-six was, even though I had never explicitly explained it before.

But today was his first time working with pie fractions, as well as comparing equal fractions.

I started out by laying out all the pieces of a Lauri fractions puzzle that I got from my mom. It came with a "whole" piece (one complete circle), halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, eighths, and tenths.

I showed them to Hunter and asked if he wanted to play with the pie game, which he was quite enthusiastic about. We took turns giving Hunter and Anthony the same amount of "pie", working with comparing things that equal one half today.

We only did about three equations today, because it's so important to always stop before your child wants to stop. At first we used magnetic numerals, then he practiced writing them. He's looking forward to doing more tomorrow.

"This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary..."

Exodus 30:13

Hunter is 4 years, 3 months old