Students in first grade explored fractions using fraction circles, Cuisenaire rods, pattern blocks and fraction squares. It is important that students experience several representations of fractions, not simply as the traditional circle or pie. Students need to be exposed early to the concept that a whole can be defined as any shape. In these examples, the students investigated defining a whole, and then identifying the fractional parts. They concentrated on the unit fractions, like 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 -- fractions with one as the numerator. To make the written fraction more meaningful, a special emphasis was placed on naming the fractions as one out of two or one out of four, as well as one half and one fourth.

Cuisenaire Rods allow the students to define different rods of different lengths to be the whole. In the examples above, the orange, black and blue rods are all used as wholes.


This student defined brown as his whole. The purple represents 1/2 of brown and the red represents 1/4. This student is already experimenting with the idea of equivalent fractions. The child discovered, on his own, that 1/2 is the same length as 2/4. Cuisenaire rods allow students to make all sorts of sophisticated connections that they will encounter in later years.