PLHS - Support for Learning

Tackling the concept of fractions can be tricky for any child. We were very wary of introducing the idea of fractions to the ELP pupils and wanted to make sure we did it in a way that they could relate to in real life.

As the emphasis of the ELP Provision is always on promoting life skills and given that the children themselves absolutely LOVE role play…we wanted to approach the subject from an angle that all of them already understood to a degree. To do this we thought about cutting up cake - or pizza!

On searching for resources we came across the game “Pizza Fraction Fun”.

This clever game teaches fraction concepts and skills using slices of pizza to identify fraction denominations. Children play seven different (differentiated) games to practise identifying fractions, matching fraction equivalents and performing fraction addition and subtraction by building pizzas. The game includes 13 very realistic double-sided pizzas (one side shows fractions) and three double-sided spinners providing different levels of learning.

For the ELP programme purposes, initially we were looking to concentrate on the fractions used most often in every day language and actions. Being able to use the terms half and quarter were the two principle aims for the children - with extended targets for those in the group who were able to progress beyond this level.

We discovered that ALL of the children could already identify what half a pizza looked like and that some of them could identify quarter of a pizza. We related the “look” of this back to how the hands of a clock “look” when it is half past twelve or quarter past twelve.

This prior knowledge provided the baseline for us to move on from with the children as we played the level 1 game which required the children to build a pizza from very simple fractions (that they could “win” on the throw of a dice). The first child to build a whole pizza was declared the winner.

The level of engagement and enthusiasm was (and continues to be) excellent. We have introduced role play by having the children “order” their fraction of pizza as they would if they were in a pizza takeaway shop or restaurant. The intention is to extend this to include  payment for the slices of pizza to continue our reinforcement of everyday money.