The terms numerator and denominator are used extensively in Year 3 to describe the top and bottom parts of a fraction. Comparing fractions is also an important part of the year’s work. Watch out for children who think that 1/2 is smaller than 1/4 because 2 is smaller than 4. One of the quirks of fractions, which some children find hard to understand, is that as the denominator gets larger, the size of the fraction gets smaller (e.g. one third is smaller than one half; one tenth is smaller than one fifth and so on).

We have three new tutorials covering these aspects of fractions:

• Understanding numerators
• Counting fractions on a number line
• Comparing and ordering fractions

Why not take a look at these step-by-step guides?