Curriculum
Beast Academy
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Fraction games
Updated · By Edulist · 4 sources
Game
Level
Pick >, < or = to compare the two fractions. No timer, unlimited tries.
48 ? 12
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How to use it
- Pick a game
Compare (pick >, < or =), Equivalent (find the missing number), Number line (tap where the fraction goes) or Build it (shade parts of a shape).
- Pick a level
3rd grade uses halves, thirds, fourths, sixths and eighths, and compares fractions with the same top or bottom number. 4th grade adds fifths, tenths and twelfths, any comparison, and number lines that go to 2.
- Play Practice, Quiz or Challenge
Practice has no timer and unlimited tries. Quiz is 10 questions, timed, three tries each. Challenge is 60 seconds, one try each, with streak bonuses.
- Learn from the answers
Wrong answers get a one-line tip, like same size pieces: more pieces is more. Results list the missed questions, and Retry missed replays just those.
Printables to go with it
Four fraction games
Fractions are where many children first decide they're "bad at math," often because they learned rules without pictures. Each of these games ties a fraction to a picture: bars, circles or a number line.
| Game | What your child does | Standards |
|---|---|---|
| Compare | Picks >, < or = for two fractions. A hint draws both as bars. | 3.NF.A.3d, 4.NF.A.2 |
| Equivalent | Finds the missing number: 1/2 = ?/8, or 2/3 = 8/? at the 4th grade level. | 3.NF.A.3b, 4.NF.A.1 |
| Number line | Taps where a fraction goes on a line from 0 to 1 (or 0 to 2). | 3.NF.A.2 |
| Build it | Shades equal parts of a bar or circle to show a fraction. | 3.NF.A.1 |
Every question has an exact answer checked with whole-number math, so 2/4 and 1/2 are always treated as equal, and every wrong answer gets a one-line tip.
Why number lines matter so much
The federal What Works Clearinghouse practice guide on fractions instruction (2010) recommends helping students see that fractions are numbers that extend the number system beyond whole numbers, and using number lines as a central tool for that. Its 2021 guide for elementary math intervention again recommends the number line, rating that recommendation as having strong evidence.
A number line shows something a pie chart can't: 3/4 is a single number, between 0 and 1, closer to 1, and the same point as 6/8. Children who only see fractions as shaded shapes often think 3/4 is "three things" or can't say whether 5/4 is more or less than 1. That's why the Number line game is in the set, and why the 4th grade level sometimes asks for a fraction on a line cut into a different number of pieces: placing 3/4 on eighths forces your child to think about equivalence.
The two levels
| 3rd grade | 4th grade | |
|---|---|---|
| Denominators | 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 |
| Compare | Same denominator or same numerator, plus equal pairs | Any two fractions, including different numerators and denominators |
| Equivalent | Find the missing top number | Missing top or bottom number, either direction |
| Number line | 0 to 1, cut into the fraction's own pieces | Up to 2; sometimes cut into finer pieces |
| Build it | The shape has as many parts as the denominator | The shape may have 2 or 3 times as many parts (shade 2/3 of 6 parts) |
These follow the Common Core standards. In 3rd grade, students compare two fractions only when they have the same numerator or the same denominator (3.NF.A.3d), and work with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8. In 4th grade they compare any two fractions by finding a common denominator or comparing to a benchmark like 1/2 (4.NF.A.2), and the denominators widen to include 5, 10, 12 and 100.
How to compare fractions: three strategies
When your child gets stuck in the Compare game, these are the strategies to talk through, in the order children usually learn them.
- Same denominator: count the pieces. 3/8 and 5/8 have the same size pieces, so 5 pieces is more. 5/8 > 3/8.
- Same numerator: compare the piece size. 2/3 and 2/5 have the same number of pieces, but thirds are bigger than fifths. 2/3 > 2/5.
- Different both: use a benchmark or a common denominator. Is each fraction more or less than 1/2? 3/8 is less than half and 4/6 is more, so 4/6 > 3/8. If both are on the same side of 1/2, rename them: 2/3 = 8/12 and 3/4 = 9/12, so 3/4 is bigger.
The game's bar hint helps with all three: the bars are the same length, so children can see which shaded part is longer.
Equivalent fractions without a rule to memorize
The rule "multiply the top and bottom by the same number" works, but children remember it better when they know why. Show 1/2 as a bar, then cut each half into 4 equal pieces: now there are 8 pieces and 4 are shaded. Nothing about the amount changed; only the number of pieces did. The Equivalent game draws the first fraction as a bar and an empty bar cut into the new number of pieces, so your child can count before calculating.
The Build it game teaches the same idea from the other side at the 4th grade level. Asked to shade 2/3 of a circle cut into 6 parts, a child has to realize that 4 of the 6 parts is the same amount.
Common fraction mistakes and what to say
| Mistake | Why it happens | What to say |
|---|---|---|
| "1/4 is bigger than 1/3 because 4 is bigger than 3" | Treating the denominator like a whole number | "The bottom number tells how many pieces. More pieces means smaller pieces." |
| Shading 2 parts for 2/3 of a 6-part circle | Counting parts instead of comparing amounts | "Is 2 out of 6 the same as 2 out of 3? Shade 2/3 of the circle." |
| Placing 3/4 at the third tick mark on a line cut in eighths | Reading ticks as the denominator | "How big is each jump here? Count the jumps from 0." |
| "1/2 = 2/8" | Adding instead of multiplying | "Draw it. Is 2 pieces of 8 the same as half?" |
Hands-on fraction practice
Before or alongside the games, let your child build fractions with our fraction tiles, where they can line up bars to see that two 1/4 tiles match one 1/2 tile, and place fractions on our interactive number line. For paper practice, print comparing fractions worksheets, equivalent fractions worksheets, or make your own with the fraction worksheet generator.
Fraction work leans on multiplication: a child who knows 3 × 4 = 12 finds 3/4 = 9/12 easily. If equivalents are slow, a few days with the times tables game often helps more than more fraction practice. For a full program, Beast Academy, SplashLearn and Prodigy, listed below, teach fractions in sequence with lessons and progress tracking.
Sources
- Common Core State Standards: Grade 3 Number and Operations, Fractions (3.NF.A.1–3)
- Common Core State Standards: Grade 4 Number and Operations, Fractions (4.NF.A.1–2)
- What Works Clearinghouse (2010). Developing Effective Fractions Instruction for Kindergarten Through 8th Grade
- What Works Clearinghouse (2021). Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades. Recommendation 4: number lines
Questions
What grade are these fraction games for?
The 3rd grade level matches the 3rd grade fraction standards: halves through eighths, fractions on a number line from 0 to 1, and simple equivalents and comparisons. The 4th grade level adds fifths, tenths and twelfths, number lines to 2, and comparing any two fractions. 5th graders can use the 4th grade level to review before adding fractions with unlike denominators.
Why does 1/3 come out bigger than 1/4?
Because the bottom number tells how many equal pieces the whole is cut into. Cut a pizza into 3 and each piece is bigger than if you cut it into 4. When the top numbers are the same, the fraction with the smaller bottom number is bigger. The Compare game's hint draws both fractions as bars so a child can see it.
How do I place a fraction on the number line?
Each small jump on the line is one piece, like 1/4. To place 3/4, count three jumps from 0. On the 4th grade level the line is sometimes cut into eighths instead, so 3/4 is six jumps. Tap the spot, or use the arrow keys, then press Check.
Can my child play with a keyboard only?
Yes. Number keys pick choices, Tab moves between the parts of a shape and Space or Enter shades one, and arrow keys move the point on the number line.
Are the fraction games free?
Yes, with no ads and no sign-up. Best scores stay in your browser.