Last Updated on December 20, 2024 by Editorial Team
Math manipulatives play an important role in alternative learning of the fundamental concepts of the subject. We already did a post on some of the best math manipulatives to use in a classroom. Fraction Bars and Strips are one on the list.
As the name suggests, Fraction Bars/Strips are math manipulatives to have hands-on experience with the concepts of fractions and decimals. Every class must have at least one fraction bars chart. Either you can purchase one from Amazon or make one of your own.
As per the request, Numberdyslexia.com is giving a free printable version of the Fraction Bars/Strips Chart upto twentieth (up to 20). You can download the pdf version as well at the end of this post.
The fraction bars chart shared in the article represents a fraction with the help of a slash (for example, 1/2). However, a slash may sometimes add to the challenges of many students in understanding the concepts of fractions. As our aim is to make things easier for students, we have come up with separate charts representing fractions the same way students are familiar with (The 1/2 has been changed to 
). Feel free to use them if your students are not comfortable with the presence of a slash in a fraction. Hope it helps!
Fraction bars/strips activity
There are a lot of possibilities for learning through fractions which will be our concern for future posts. However, One typical practice is to let the kids color the respective block of the black & white fraction bars and write an equation to get the result. The teacher can also color the blocks and then ask the kids on what the result will be.
Look at the fraction bars chart below,
In the above example,
The equation will be: 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/6 + 1/6 + 1/6 + 1/12 + 1/12 + 1/12 + 1/12 + 1/12 + 1/12
The result will be: 2
Another step to go over this is to cut out the colored blocks on chart paper, then join them adjacently. On observing, the resultant block we get from joining will be doubled to the 1 block.
Want more fun printables? Check out PrintablesHub.com for worksheets, charts & game templates.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,