Fractions: Halves and Quarters

In Year 1, children are introduced to fractions through halves and quarters. They learn that a half means splitting something into 2 equal parts and a quarter means splitting into 4 equal parts. The emphasis is on "equal" -- both parts must be the same size.

Children find halves and quarters of shapes (shading half a circle), objects (cutting a sandwich into quarters) and quantities (half of 8 sweets is 4). They use the symbols 1/2 and 1/4 and connect fractions to division: finding half is the same as dividing by 2.

By the end of Year 1, children should recognise that two halves make a whole and four quarters make a whole. They begin to see fractions as numbers in their own right, not just "pieces of a pizza".

Fractions are one of the topics that children (and many adults) find most challenging. Building a strong visual and practical understanding in Year 1 prevents the confusion that often surfaces in Years 3-6 when fractions become more complex.

Early fraction work also reinforces division concepts and lays the groundwork for understanding percentages, decimals and ratio later in school. Children who can confidently halve and quarter numbers have a real head start.

1. 1

   Cut food into halves and quarters: toast, apples, sandwiches. Name the fractions as you go.

2. 2

   Fold paper in half, then in half again, to show quarters physically.

3. 3

   Ask: 'Is this a fair share? Are both pieces equal?' to reinforce the concept of equal parts.

4. 4

   Practise halving even numbers: 'What is half of 10? Half of 6? Half of 20?'

5. 5

   Use building bricks: make a tower of 8 and split it into two equal groups to find half.

6. 6

   Read books that feature sharing equally, such as 'The Doorbell Rang' by Pat Hutchins.