Have your student count how many thirds are in 5 by stepping on each third while counting their steps from one to fifteen. If your student’s counting is out of sync with their steps, have them go back and start over. To help them emphasize each whole number, you can have them hop to the middle box after reaching the fraction that equals a whole. The student hops on 1/3 and says, “one third.” The student hops on 2/3 and says,”two thirds.” The student hops on 3/3 and says, “three thirds equal one whole” as they hop to the one. Continue with this pattern until they reach five.

Knowledge of skip counting helps students understand fractions. If your student knows how to skip count by three, and they can see that there are three thirds in each of the whole numbers, then they can skip count to figure out how many thirds are in the other numbers on the mat. To figure out how many thirds are in three, have your student count 3-6-9. To figure out how many thirds are in five, count 3-6-9-12-15. To figure out how many sixths are in 24, count 6-12-18-24.

When students become solid with multiplication, they can multiply to find the number of thirds in any whole number. For example to figure out how many thirds are in 4, they multiply 3 times 4. To figure out how many sixths are in 5, multiply 6 times 5.

Have them do the same activity with sixths once they are comfortable with halves.

Have your student start on START HERE. Have the student say “one third” while hopping with one foot in the 1/3 box. Then have the student jump (two feet) on the 2/3, clap and say “ two thirds.” Continue alternating between one foot and two-footed movements to the end of the mat.

Repeat the activity for halves and sixths. Be sure that your student says the fractions correctly. Tell your student the fractions if your student doesn’t know them.

Have a student select a fraction and stand on it. Then, have the student hop on all of its equivalent fractions. The activity should go on until the student has reached all fractions equivalent to the one on which they started. Then, have them select another fraction or have the next student take a turn.

Students might not realize right away that the colors/shades correspond with equivalent fractions. If they do not pick up on it, ask them to look closer at the colors on the mat and see if they can find the pattern.

This floor mat offers a visual opportunity for students to understand the relationships between fractions greater than one and mixed numbers.

For example, to have your student figure the mixed number equivalent to 8/3 ask your student, “How many whole numbers are in 8/3?”

Have your student step on 8/3. Ask how many whole numbers that they can see on the mat before 8/3? Ask how many fraction pieces are left over. Have your student count the thirds after the whole number two up to 8/3. Your student will be able to count “two thirds” Then your student will see that the improper fraction 8/3 is the same as two and two thirds (2/3).