Fraction arithmetic exercises

These pages are available in English and Italian; the application itself is currently in English.

The Fractions exercise type covers arithmetic with numerators and denominators. You can practise one or more operations — addition, subtraction, multiplication, division — or answer a random mix of all four.

Answers are entered as fractions, on a dedicated keypad: the child writes the numerator and the denominator, separated by the horizontal bar provided.

Parameters

• One or more operations, as you choose.
• The number of digits in the numerator and the denominator, from 1 to 3 or random.
• The test length, from 1 to 15 questions.
• The time limit, set in minutes and seconds.
• Answers typed on the keypad, or chosen from several options.

Why fractions get a mode of their own

Fraction arithmetic asks for different habits from whole-number arithmetic: finding the common denominator, multiplying across, or inverting the second fraction before dividing.

Simplifying is flagged, not punished

An answer that is numerically right but not reduced to its lowest terms is still marked as correct. MathButFun flags it separately on the results screen, in amber, noting that it is not simplified.

The distinction is deliberate. A child who answers four eighths instead of one half has done the arithmetic correctly and should be told so; simplifying is a separate skill, and seeing it named is how it gets learned. Neither the score nor the accuracy figure is reduced.

Who it is for

Fraction exercises suit those meeting equivalence and the common denominator for the first time, and anyone who needs the four operations to become quick rather than merely possible.

How are fraction answers entered?

On a dedicated keypad, writing the numerator and the denominator. Multiple choice is available as an alternative.