Fractions Unlocked: How Teaching Fractions as Numbers Is the Key to Student Understanding

Fractions Unlocked, co-published with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, provides a research-based answer by shifting instruction away from traditional part-whole models toward a measurement-based approach grounded in unit fractions.

Fractions represent one of the most persistent challenges in mathematics education. Despite their critical importance as a foundation for algebra and advanced mathematics, many students struggle to develop a meaningful understanding of fraction concepts and operations. Fractions Unlocked offers teachers a transformative approach to instruction.

Drawing on decades of research and classroom experience, the authors show how understanding fractions as numbers with magnitude can transform student learning. This book provides a clear road map for instruction, prioritizing conceptual meaning over rote memorization to help students build a deep, connected understanding of how fractions work. This essential resource equips elementary and middle school teachers and coaches with instructional strategies and research-based activities to put these ideas into immediate practice.

Book Features:

• Analysis of student work and "Spotlights on Student Thinking" to help teachers interpret and build on student strategies and explanations.
• In-depth development of the number line as a central tool for understanding fractions as numbers with magnitude.
• Purposeful use of representations (fraction strips, drawings, number lines, contextual situations, and symbolic notation) to make fraction concepts, relationships, and operations visible.
• Tools, tasks, and discussion prompts, along with instructional sequences, that support implementation of meaningful and connected fraction instruction.
• Teaching takeaways that synthesize the key ideas of each chapter.