Why Your Students Are Struggling with Fractions (And What Actually Helps)

Can we be honest for a second? Fractions are THE math unit that makes both teachers and students want to cry into their planners.

You've got kids who still don't get equivalence, some who are ready for operations, and that one kiddo who genuinely thinks 1/2 is bigger than 3/4 because "the numbers are bigger."

If mid-year data meetings have you sweating about fraction mastery, you're not alone—and this post might actually help.

Here's something that might make you feel better: fractions are consistently ranked as the #1 struggle area in 4th and 5th grade math across the country.

This isn't a you problem. This isn't even a your-students problem.

Fractions are just HARD.

They're hard to teach. They're hard to learn. They're hard to make concrete when the entire concept is literally about parts of a whole that students can't always see.

And here's the kicker: if students don't master fractions in 4th and 5th grade, they'll struggle with ratios in 6th, proportions in 7th, and algebra in 8th. No pressure, right?

But before you panic, let me tell you what I've learned after years of teaching fractions:

The problem isn't the content. The problem is how we've been taught to teach it.

Let me paint a picture of traditional fraction instruction:

Sound familiar?

Here's the thing: this approach fails for really specific reasons that nobody talks about.

In your classroom right now, you probably have:

Traditional instruction teaches to the middle. Which means the struggling kids get lost in the first 5 minutes, the advanced kids checked out 10 minutes ago, and the kids in the middle are getting by but not being challenged.

Nobody's needs are actually met.

Students can memorize that 1/2 = 2/4 without understanding WHY.

They learn the procedure ("multiply top and bottom by 2!") without grasping the concept (these represent the same amount of space).

I've had students ace equivalent fraction worksheets on Monday, then completely fall apart on a word problem on Friday. Because they memorized HOW to manipulate numbers, but they never learned WHAT those numbers actually represent.

Here's a hard truth: Students need A LOT of fraction practice. Like, way more than you think. Way more than they think is fair.

But assign 30 fraction problems on a worksheet and you'll get groans, half-hearted work, and lots of eraser marks.

The practice technically happens, but their brains aren't really engaged. They're just going through the motions to be done.

I've never had a student volunteer to do more fraction worksheets during free time. Never.

Okay, so if traditional teaching doesn't work, what does?

Here are the three things that have made the biggest difference in my classroom. I'll be honest about which one you can implement tomorrow and which ones take more setup.

This is the one thing you can do tomorrow that will make the biggest difference.

Before you ever teach the algorithm for equivalent fractions, students need to SEE that 1/2 and 2/4 take up the same space. Not with you drawing it on the board while they watch. With them drawing, folding, or shading fraction models themselves.

Here's what this looks like:

Give students blank fraction bars (or circles, number lines—whatever you prefer). Have them shade in 1/2 on one bar. Then shade in 2/4 on another bar.

Ask: "What do you notice?"

When they see with their own eyes that the shaded amounts are identical, the algorithm makes sense. When you teach the algorithm first, they're just following random rules they don't understand.

This isn't revolutionary. But most of us skip straight to the algorithm because there's so much to cover.

Don't.

Slow down here. Let them discover the patterns. Once they SEE it, they'll remember it. Before they see it? They're just memorizing procedures they'll forget by Monday.

Why this works:

When students manipulate fraction models themselves, their brains build actual understanding. They're not just following your instructions—they're discovering patterns. That sticks in a way that worksheets never do.

You know students need different levels of practice. But creating three different activities for every lesson isn't realistic.

Here's what I've learned: you don't need three different activities. You need one activity with three difficulty levels built in.

All students work on equivalent fractions. But some work with simpler numbers (1/2 = 2/4), some work at grade level (3/4 = 6/8 = 9/12), and some get challenge problems (24/32 = ?).

Same format. Same instructions. Same timing. Different difficulty.

Here's why this matters: students aren't separated into obvious "ability groups." They're all doing equivalent fractions. It just doesn't look like they're doing different work.

I use a three-tier system for pretty much every fraction activity. Students know which level matches where they are, and because the format is the same, I'm not buried in prep work.

The result? Everyone succeeds at their level. Nobody's bored. Nobody's lost. And I only planned one activity.

This is where having activities with built-in differentiation becomes essential—you can meet everyone's needs without tripling your workload.

Students need tons of fraction practice. But the format matters.

Thirty fraction problems on a worksheet? Resistance, groans, rushing through just to be done.

Those same thirty problems in a puzzle, game, or color-by-code format? Suddenly they're asking if they can work on it during free time.

When students are engaged with the format, they don't realize they're doing repetitive practice. They're focused on solving the puzzle or cracking the code. But their brains are still processing equivalent fractions over and over.

The practice happens. The learning sticks. But it doesn't feel like pulling teeth.

I've built most of my fraction resources around this—taking the practice students need and putting it in formats that don't make them want to fake sick.

The biggest mistake? Rushing through fractions to "cover" everything.

I get it. The curriculum calendar says you should be on adding fractions by February. State testing is in April. You feel behind.

But here's the truth: if students don't actually understand equivalent fractions, they'll struggle with the adding fractions unit anyway. If they can't compare fractions, they won't be able to subtract with unlike denominators.

It's better to teach fewer concepts deeply than to "cover" everything superficially and have nothing actually stick.

Slow down on the foundation. You'll move faster later.

If you want to try the visual + differentiated approach, I've got a set of free task cards for equivalent fractions that includes three difficulty levels in one activity.

They're designed to give students that visual understanding first, then practice at their level. No prep required.

Grab them here →

And if this helped you think differently about fractions, save it for when you're planning and share it with another teacher who's in the trenches with you.