After mastering basic mathematical concepts with whole numbers, your students may be intimidated when being introduced to fractions. When you have a set of objects, you use a fraction to represent a portion of that set mathematically.

When first exposing your students to fractions, you can use actual objects. Start with a set or group of blocks of multiple colors. Have student separate out blocks of a single color. Explain to your students that, while the separated blocks represent a subset of the original group, they still belong to the original set or superset.

Once they understand this aspect, you can teach them to write this as a fraction. Fractions have two parts; the numerator and the denominator. When dealing with fractions as part of a set, the numerator represents the subset of items. The denominator represents the superset from which the subset was taken. They are written with the numerator over the denominator, separated by a line, called the Vinculum:

Numerator
Denominator

They can also be separated by a slash:

Numerator/Denominator

There are also specific ways to read a fraction. Because the numerator represents the subset, it’s read as a number. It is a quantity of pieces. The denominator refers to the name of the pieces, based on the total. For example:

One of two pieces is called a half
One of three or more pieces is named by applying the same rule as you would when using a sequence:
- One of three pieces is a third
- One of four pieces is a fourth, and so on

Practicing identifying fractions with the resources provided by Education.com above may help your students get comfortable with the concept of fractions as a part of a set.

Fractions of a Set Educational Resources : Page 3