About Visual Fractions

FRACTIONITIS frak'sheni'tis: An increase in anxiety caused by the appearance of a numeral in fraction form.

Symptoms: A blank stare, avoidance of math courses and math teachers.

Cure: Associate fractions with a pleasant object, such as 1/4 of an apple pie.

View the How To pages to find out how to identify, rename, compare, add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions with step-by-step explanations. Each explanation is in PDF format using Adobe Reader™ or PPS format using Powerpoint Viewer™.

If the fraction has a whole number part enter the whole number by clicking the Whole field and then keying in the whole number. Tab to the numerator field and then key in the numerator. Then tab to the denominator field and key in the denominator. Then press the <OK> button to accept your answer. If your answer is correct, your Correct score will increase by one point. You may press the <New Example> button to go to the next example.

If your answer is not correct you will be told if your answer is too large or too small. You may then enter another number.

Pressing the <Explain> button is like pressing the <OK> button except that the answer will appear in the number fields and an explanation will appear at the bottom of the application. Your example number and score will not increase by pressing the <Explain> button. You may press the <New Example> button to go to the next example.

Pressing the <Start> button will bring the Correct and Attempts scores to 0 and will give you a new example.

Press the <Report> button to make a report card. This button will open a dialog that asks you to submit your name. You should not submit your full name,but only your first name ort a code for your name. A printable report card will then appear that gives your name or name code, the operation you worked on, a description of the operation, the number attempted examples, the number of correct examples, and the percent correct. Use the <Print> button to print the report card.

Use the <Email> button to send an email of your score. A pop-up window will ask for an email address and will give a review of the content of the email. Press the <Send> button to send the email and close the pop-up window. Press the <Cancel> button to close the pop-up window if you do not wish to send the email.

Visual Fractions does not gather name or email information.

Where do I start? Where do I go next? A Progress Page will given you guidance on what activities in this web site to work on. There is a Placement Examples test that will give typical examples in each of the ten units. You can then check your answers with the Placement Answers to see which of the units you should work on.

Each unit has a pretest, instruction, on-line practice, worksheet practice, and a test.

A printable check list is available so you can keep track of your progress as you work through these topics. Keep this check list to show the work you have accomplished in this visual fractions modeling program.

Did you ever want to design your own number line and circle fraction examples? You can do this with this new on-line series of Fraction Designer programs.Enter in your own fractions and see number line or circle models of the operands and answers. For teachers, answers can be turned on or off if you wish to query the student. If you are learning on your own you can enter your own fractions to see an explanation with a visual model.

All games in the VISUALFRACTIONS series give more practice with fractions and help in understanding them. While learning and having fun with fraction games you can become an CHAMPION GRAMPY FINDER or an CHAMPION COOKIE BUILDER. You can even becom an ACE RESCUE TRANSPORTER NAVIGATOR or an ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PAYMASTER. See how you can qualify as a CIRCUS CHIMP with the Balance Scale game.

All features of this Visual Fractions web site, including the major menu choices, the Progress Chart, explanations, Fractions Designer, Fractions Games, and Visual Fractions Worksheets can be found on this Site Map page.

Most pages on this website have a section that includes animation, usually at the top of the page. This section requires some interaction from the user.

The software used to build this animation section is Adobe Animate CC. The animation is written in a language called javascript.

Animations were previously written as a FLASH animation but because there are vulnerabilities to cyberattacks with FLASH all animations use the Animate CC environment.

All pages on visualfractions.com can best be viewed on desktops, laptops, and the Ipad.

All pages of this Visual Fractions website are available for free and no login is required. See more privacy details on the Privacy Page.

Middle School Mathematics teacher for 28 years. Adjunct instructor in mathematics at the University of Maine at Presque Isle in Presque Isle, Maine for 16 years. Now retired.

BS Education Aroostook State Teachers College (now the University of Maine at Presque Isle) - 1964.
MS Mathematics Education from the University of Maine at Orono, Maine - 1971.

Fractions are better understood when seen. The visual approach to learning fractions should be available to anybody at any age.

The fractions topics are non-graded. A forty year-old, for example, might want to learn about multiplying fractions. All that person has to do is press the MULTIPLY link on the HOME PAGE. Here, they will find links to to instruction and practice in that topic.

I had given some thought towards including social media on this website. It is suggested by many that social media will help SEO (Search Engine Optimization). If I were using this website as a teacher in a classroom, though, the last thing I would want is easy access to social media.

There is no charge for using this Visual Fractions website. All features of this website are available without a login.

Also, you will not see any kind of advertising.

As a former middle school and college math teacher, I feel that the topics in this Visual Fractions web site should be easily available to people of all ages.

Writing the Visual Fractions website and restoring old farm equipment are hobbies of mine.