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What is it?
A set of worksheets on adding and subtracting fractions may not be an obvious contender for resource of the week but this is not just any set of worksheets. As the author explains, these worksheets are designed to completely develop the concept of adding and subtracting fractions. This is very much going for depth, as opposed to breadth.We start with the same denominators, and progress through to where the denominators do not share a common factor. All the way students are challenged with a variety of questions types, including missing numbers and addition pyramids, as well as interleaving high value concepts such as decimals and indices.

How can it be used?
In the past I have been guilty of trying to teach all aspects of adding and subtracting fractions in one go and then finding I needed to do the same thing the following year, and the year after that. The author has a different idea for this set of worksheets:

These can be used one after the other over a series of lessons exploring the concept, or could be spaced across several years, with enough similarity in the structure that pupils should have memories of working on similar tasks triggered.

Indeed, using these over a series of lessons – possibly spread over years – is a fascinating idea. Students will be familiar with the structure, and can slowly and steadily add to their knowledge of adding and subtracting fractions as their knowledge of other areas of mathematics grows.

Thanks for sharing!
Craig Barton

Download: Adding and subtracting fractions
View the author’s other resources