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How to Use Candy to Teach Fractions

Fractions present a learning challenge for many students, with some ideas being difficult to understand and master. If you use learning manipulatives that children find interesting, they may grasp the concepts more readily. Try using candy to teach fractions, illustrating sets and groups with sweets. Once children learn the math lessons, you can reward them with the candy treats you used for the practice.

Things You'll Need

  • Candy bar with dividing lines for quarters
  • Bag of multicolored candy
  • Small plastic zip bags
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Instructions

  1. Candy Bar

    • 1

      Unwrap the candy bar and show it to the students. Discuss it being a "whole" candy bar.

    • 2

      Talk about sharing the candy bar. If two people wanted to share the candy bar, demonstrate how to divide it into two equal parts by breaking it in half along the dividing line.

    • 3

      Write "1/2" on the blackboard. Explain the numerator and denominator in the fraction using the candy bar you just broke in half. The numerator represents one part out of two. The denominator represents the total of two parts.

    • 4

      Talk about sharing the candy bar with more people. If four people wanted to share the candy bar, demonstrate how to divide it into four equal parts by breaking each half in half along the dividing lines.

    • 5

      Write "1/4" on the black board and explain that each equal fourth is "one of four" parts.

    Multicolored Candy

    • 6

      Prepare a small bag of multicolored candy for each student or pair of students. Place 25 to 30 candies into separate bags and seal the bags. Pass them out.

    • 7

      Direct students to pour the candies out and count the number of candies in their bags. Tell the students to write down the number of candies.

    • 8

      Instruct the students to divide the candies by color. For example, the students may have eight blue candies, six red candies, four yellow candies, five green candies and five purple candies. Tell the students to write the colors and numbers.

    • 9

      Remind students about numerators and denominators. Help the students write fractions that represent the colored candy groups. The students should write the numbers in each candy group as the numerators and the total number of candies as the denominators. Using the same example, if a student had 28 candies, the student should write 8/28 (blue), 6/28 (red), 4/28 (yellow), 5/28 (green) and 5/28 (purple).

    • 10

      Help students check their fractional parts for accuracy by adding. Instruct them to add the fractions together to find the total. Remind them that when they add fractions, they add the numerators but not the denominators. Using the same example, 8/28 + 6/28 + 4/28 + 5/28 + 5/28 = 28/28. Tell students that 28/28 represents a whole.

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