Fraction Strips-Printable, Virtual, & Handmade

Your complete guide to using fraction strips in your classroom

Students often struggle to understand math concepts related to fractions, including simplifying fractions, equivalent fractions, comparing fractions, and adding and subtracting fractions.

While memorizing procedures and working through practice problems can be helpful, they often fail to help students gain a true conceptual understanding of fractions.

Without a deep conceptual understanding of a topic like fractions, students are likely to struggle with the topic indefinitely.

However, there are many effective hands-on activities that allow students to visually explore fractions and develop a deep conceptual understanding that they will be able to apply to more challenging topics related to fractions.

And, arguably the best hands-on activity for exploring fractions is the use of Fraction Strips.

In this guide, you will learn how to use fraction strips in your classroom with three different options:

Students Make Their Own Fraction Strips
Fraction Strips Printable Worksheet for Students (pdf download)
Virtual Fraction Strips Online
Applications of Fraction Strips Examples

What is a fractions strip?

A fraction strip is a rectangular sheet of colored paper that represents a fraction. Fraction strips are meant to be used in comparison with each other so that students can see the relationship between fractions and fractional parts. Fraction strips can various lengths depending on the color that they represent and they typically use a range of colors to further illustrate the difference between different fractions and how they compare/contrast with each other.

For example, the image below shows an example of using fraction strips to explore a relationship between equivalent fractions, namely that 4/8, 2/4, and 1/2 are all equivalent fractions that can be simplified to one half.

Make Your Own Fraction Strips

The most common way that teachers can implement fraction strips into their math lessons is to have students use construction paper to make their own fraction strips. The pros of this option is that students gain a deeper understanding of being active in the process of making their own fraction strips and they can take advantage of using different colors that correspond with each type of fraction (example. halves are purple, thirds are blue, fourths are orange, etc.).

To have your students make their own fractions strips, here are the materials that you will need:

colored construction paper, scissors, rulers, markers

Once you have your materials together, have your students work through the following steps:

1.) Start by cutting 5 different colored pieces of paper into lengthwise strips, each with a height of 3 inches.

2.) Choose a color for your first fraction strip and use your markers to label it 1 whole (or 1/1). Then fold your second strip in half and cut along the seam, then label each piece 1/2.

3.) Now, choose another color for your next fraction strip and fold it in half and the cut it along the seam to create two halves again. Next, fold each of those halves in half again and then cut along the seam to create four pieces that should each be labeled 1/4. These pieces are the quarters.

4.) Your fraction kit is now starting to take shape. Next, choose another fraction strip and fold it in half, then in half again, and then in half one more time. The result should be seams dividing the fraction strip into 8 equal sections. Cut along each seam and label each 1/8. These pieces are the eighths.

5.) Finally, repeat the same process as the previous step with your last fraction strip, except make one additional half fold so that the seams divide the fraction strip into 16 equal sections. Cut along each seam and label each 1/16. These pieces are the sixteenths.

Note that you can also have your students use rulers to include fraction strips for thirds, fifths, sixths, etc.

Once your students have their completed fraction strips, they are ready to explore some relationships. Click here to jump ahead to see a few examples of how students can use fraction strips to develop a deep conceptual understanding of fractions and their properties.

And for a more in-depth step-by-step look at making fraction strips by hand, check out the video demonstration below.

Fraction Strips Printable Worksheet (PDF Download)

If you prefer a fraction strips printable option, then you can use the links below to download your free fractions strips worksheet that allows students to simply cut out the fraction strips and begin exploring. There is a color option and a blank option. If you choose the blank option, we highly recommend having your students color them in using crayons, colored pencils, etc. as the color coordination helps students to organize their thinking and not become confused.

▶ Click here to download your free Fraction Strips Printable PDF Worksheets (BLANK)

▶ Click here to download your free Fraction Strips Printable PDF Worksheets (COLOR)

Virtual Fraction Strips Online

The third option for using fraction strips is using virtual manipulatives to allow students to work with fractions strips on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smart phone. If your students have access to technology, then the use of virtual fraction strips is a great option that teachers can take advantage of. While there are many websites that offer a free virtual fraction strips tool, we recommend the following options:

Virtual Fraction Strips: Interactive Fraction Strips by Toy Theatre
Virtual Fraction Strips: Interactive Fraction Strips by Mathigon

Applications of Using a Fraction Strip to Explore Fractions

Example #1: Equivalent Fractions and Simplifying Fractions

Students can use fraction strips to explore the concepts of equivalent fractions and simplifying fractions.

For example, students can use fraction strips to visualize why 6/9 and 4/6 are equivalent fractions and why they both can be simplified to 2/3.

Example #2: Comparing Fractions

Students can also use fractions strips to compare fractions and understand why a fraction may be greater than, less than, or equal to another fraction.

For example, students can use fraction strips to visualize why 2/3 > 3/5 and why 2/3 < 6/7.