MathPractice
Fractions · Grade 3

Read and build fraction models

Read a shaded model and build a model from a fraction. Keep track of the whole, the equal parts, and the selected parts.

Grade 38 questions per setNo account needed
Practice 8 questions Download worksheet

US Letter PDF · A4 version · Answer key

What we’re working onMatch a fraction from 0 to 1 with a model of the same value.

First page of the Read and build models worksheet, with visible questions and room to work.Open worksheet PDF · 8 questions · US Letter
See how it works

Worked examples

Example 1

Read the shaded parts

A bar has eight equal parts. Five parts are shaded. What fraction of the whole bar is shaded?

  1. Eight equal parts make one whole, so each is an eighth.
  2. Count the five shaded parts.
  3. Five eighths is written 5/8.

5/8

Example 2

Build a fraction

Show 2/3 of one rectangle.

  1. Divide the whole rectangle into three equal parts.
  2. Each part is one third.
  3. Shade two parts. One third plus one third is two thirds.

Shade any two of the three equal parts.

A question from this worksheet

Shade 0 of the 3 equal parts to make 0/3.

See the explanation

Shade 0 of the 3-sized parts.

0 out of 3 equal parts are selected, so the fraction is 0/3.

Choose how to practice

Pick the support you need.

Each set has eight questions. The online practice and prepared worksheet use the same questions.

Need a different version or paper size? Customize a worksheet

For the grown-up beside them

Help the thinking along.

A useful question

Which number tells you how to split the whole? Which tells you how many parts to select?

What to look for

The learner can go both ways: from a model to a fraction and from a fraction to a model.

A common sticking point

Swapping the numerator and denominator, or counting only the shaded area when defining the whole.

Help without giving the answer

Label one small part with its unit fraction. Ask how many of that part the fraction tells you to use.

Keep the words clear

Words in this skill.

fraction
A number that can count equal parts of a whole.
numerator
The number of parts being counted.
denominator
The number of equal parts in one whole.
model
A drawing or object used to show a mathematical idea.

What these sets cover.

  • Generated models use denominators 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8, with values from 0 to 1.
  • Include unshaded and fully shaded models as well as fractions between them.
  • A rotated model has the same value if the whole and selected area stay the same.

Common questions

Must the shaded parts touch?

No. Five selected eighths still make 5/8 when they are separated. They must belong to the same whole and have the same size.

What do 0/4 and 4/4 look like?

For 0/4, none of four equal parts is shaded. For 4/4, all four parts are shaded, so the whole is selected.

Try next

Fractions on a number line

Next, locate the same fractional amounts as distances from zero.

Explore this skill

Related standards: 3.NF.1. These materials focus on this skill, not every part of a grade-level curriculum. How we check materials.