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2nd grade · Math · Unit 18 of 19

Halves, Fourths & Eighths

Equal parts of a whole

What your child practices

Your child splits shapes into equal parts and names halves, fourths and eighths, and learns that the more equal parts a whole is cut into, the smaller each part is.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 2.3(A); 2.3(B); 2.3(D) · naming halves, fourths and eighths, and seeing that more equal parts make smaller parts

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Equal parts are the same size. 2 equal parts are halves, 4 are fourths, 8 are eighths.
  2. The more equal parts a whole has, the smaller each part is.
  3. One eighth is smaller than one fourth, and one fourth is smaller than one half.

Example: A pizza is cut into 8 equal slices. What is one slice called? There are 8 equal parts. Each part is one eighth. Answer: one eighth

Halves, Fourths & Eighths in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 18 of 19 in 2nd grade Math, after Bar Graphs and before Saving & Borrowing.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which shape is cut into equal parts?

    ✂️
    • a square with no lines
    • a square cut into 4 parts of different sizes
    • a square cut into 4 parts that are all the same size

  2. Question 2

    1/8 means one of how many equal parts?

    • 9
    • 8
    • 7

  3. Question 3

    Which fraction is one fourth?

    • 1/2
    • 1/8
    • 1/4

  4. Question 4

    1/4 means one of how many equal parts?

    • 4
    • 3
    • 5

  5. Question 5

    Which shape is cut into equal parts?

    ✂️
    • a square cut into 4 parts of different sizes
    • a square cut into 4 parts that are all the same size
    • a square with no lines

  6. Question 6

    1/4 means one of how many equal parts?

    • 4
    • 5
    • 3

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