Simplifying fractions is a foundational skill your students will use again and again, but it can also be one of the trickiest to teach. This quick guide walks you through clear steps, common challenges, and engaging tools (like Frax) that make learning fractions click for every student.
What does it mean to simplify fractions?
When you teach students how to simplify fractions, you’re helping them find an equivalent fraction written in its simplest form—where the numerator and denominator no longer share any common factors except 1. The fraction still represents the same value, but it’s often easier for students to read, compare, and work with.
Simplifying fractions is a key skill in upper elementary math. It helps your students recognize relationships between numbers, see patterns, and prepare for more advanced math like ratios and algebra. But it’s not always easy.
How to simplify a fraction step-by-step
Before students can work with fractions in complex environments, they first need a strong understanding that fractions are numbers, each with a position on the number line.
Remember equivalent fractions
Part of what makes fractions challenging for students is that, for the first time, they experience numbers that look different but are equal to each other.
For example, the numbers 1/2, 2/4, 3/6, 4/8, and 8/16 are all equivalent fractions. Their lengths, or magnitudes, are equal (fraction blocks and number lines help make this clear to students). In this case, once students understand that the fractions are all equal (or equivalent) to each other, it’s natural to encourage them to pick the “easiest” fraction to work with (called the simplest form), which in this case is 1/2.
Once students have a conceptual understanding of fraction magnitude, they’ll be much more equipped to learn how to simplify fractions with a few clear steps.
Identify the greatest common factor (GCF)
The greatest common factor (GCF) is the largest number that divides evenly into both the numerator and denominator. For example, in 8/16, both 8 and 16 can be divided by 8.
Divide the numerator and denominator
In 8/16, students divide the numerator and denominator by the GCF (8) to get 1/2, which is the simplified fraction. If students continue to use this fraction in an addition problem, for example, 1/2 is easier to work with than 4/8 or 8/16.
Think of it like sharing a candy string rope: if you cut each piece of the rope in half, you have more pieces, but the total amount of candy doesn’t change. Real-life examples like this help students understand that simplifying a fraction works the same way. The simplified form looks different, but the fraction represents the same value.
Check your work
After simplifying, students should double-check that the numerator and denominator no longer share any common factors. If they do, they can simplify again.
How Frax Sector 3 makes simplifying fractions engaging
Frax is an adaptive and game-based platform that helps students develop a conceptual understanding of fractions. Throughout Frax, students progress through scaffolded instruction grouped by Sectors aligned to elementary grade-level fractions standards.
Sector 1 (targets topics typically addressed in grade 3) lays the foundation that the rest of Frax is built upon, helping students understand fractions as numbers, while Sector 2 (targets topics typically addressed in grade 4) expands students’ knowledge of fraction equivalency and early fraction arithmetic.
The all-new Frax Sector 3 takes learning even further, allowing students to use the foundations built in Sectors 1 and 2 to navigate new worlds and develop a strong mastery of grade 5 fraction arithmetic. Sector 3 also includes extensive practice with simplifying fractions.
In Sector 3, students use the foundational fraction tools they’ve become familiar with on their Frax journey and apply them to more complex fraction work. Ancient Wisdoms is a new feature in Sector 3 that makes this possible. “Ancient Wisdoms is a great environment for essentially mimicking paper and pencil work that we want students to be able to do, but within the context of Frax. It's where they are doing the adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. It's a cool setting that’s much more engaging than their old paper and pencil, but it looks a lot like paper and pencil,” said Dan Moriarty, ExploreLearning Product Designer.
“We want to be sure that even when students are done with Frax and they go to their homework or a quiz or a standardized test, that even in that sort of sterile environment, they can answer these questions there too.”
Students practice fraction equivalence, a key part of simplifying fractions, in Frax.
Why Frax’s approach stands out
Research shows that the strongest learning occurs when students develop an understanding of fractions using visual models like length models and number lines. Frax uses the number line as a core representation tool as students interact with fractions in a high-energy space galaxy setting.
How does Frax support and enhance instruction?
- Fraction pedagogy focused on length models and number lines to encourage true understanding rather than rote memorization
- Highly scaffolded instruction, just-in-time remediation, and adaptive questioning
- Motivating rewards and classroom competitions to boost engagement across all ability levels
- Progress monitoring and real-time reporting to help you know when to intervene
- Offline activities that reinforce number line concepts and add a hands-on element to students’ Frax experience
FAQs about simplifying fractions
You might have some common questions when it comes to simplifying fractions.
What is the easiest way to simplify fractions?
Find the greatest common factor (GCF) of the numerator and denominator, then divide both by that number.
Can all fractions be simplified?
Not always. Some fractions, like 3/5 or 7/8, are already in simplest form because the numerator and denominator have no common factors other than 1.
Why do students struggle with simplifying fractions?
Many students don’t yet have a solid grasp of fractions as numbers, along with factors and multiples. Visual models and practice in meaningful contexts can help them make the connections they need. Developing math fact fluency can also help students perform operations with more confidence and automaticity.
How does equivalence relate to simplifying fractions?
Students need to understand that all fractions have many equivalent fractions. Simplifying is just finding the equivalent fraction that will be simplest to work with.
How does Frax help with true fraction understanding?
Frax uses engaging, story-driven missions to help students understand fractions as numbers and perform work, including fraction arithmetic and simplifying fractions. With Frax, you can transform your classroom into a space where math comes to life, fostering deeper understanding and engagement.
Try Frax and help your students master fractions
Make simplifying fractions fun and meaningful for your students with Frax. Try Frax free and see how game-based learning builds deeper understanding and long-lasting confidence with fractions.