Ontario math curriculum (2020) · Grades 2 to 5
Fractions in the Ontario Math Curriculum
What Ontario students learn about fractions from Grade 2 to Grade 5, and a free game and worksheet for each step.
In Ontario, fractions start with fair sharing in Grade 2, grow into equivalent fractions in Grade 3, fractional notation and comparing in Grade 4, and adding and subtracting like fractions in Grade 5. The expectation codes below (B1.6, B2.5 and so on) are the curriculum's own, so you can match them to a report card or lesson plan.
Fractions by grade
Paraphrased from Strand B (Number) of The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Mathematics (2020). Check the official wording before you plan.
| Grade | What students work on | Practise it here |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 2 | B1.6 Fair-share problems with drawings: up to 10 items shared among 2, 3, 4 or 6 people, with answers that can be whole numbers, mixed numbers or fractional amounts. B1.7 One third and two sixths of the same whole are equal. | Halves, thirds and quarters games |
| Grade 3 | B1.6 Fair-share problems with up to 20 items and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 10 sharers. B1.7 Equivalent fractions through fair sharing: halves, fourths and eighths; thirds and sixths; fifths and tenths. B2.7 Multiplying and dividing with groups of one half, one fourth and one third. B2.8 A numerator counts unit fractions: 3/4 is 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4. | Equivalent fractions game, fraction wall |
| Grade 4 | B1.4 Fractions from halves to tenths in drawings and standard notation, and what the numerator and denominator mean. B1.5 Compare and order the portions from two fair-share situations. B1.6 Count to 10 by halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, eighths and tenths. B1.7–B1.9 Decimal tenths, and how fractions and tenths are equal. B2.7 Repeated addition of a unit fraction is the same as multiplying it by a whole number. | Comparing fractions game, number line sheets |
| Grade 5 | B1.3 Equivalent fractions from halves to twelfths, including improper fractions and mixed numbers. B1.4 Compare and order fractions from halves to twelfths, including improper fractions and mixed numbers. B1.7 Fractions, decimals to hundredths and whole-number percents that are equal. B2.5 Add and subtract fractions with like denominators. B2.8 Multiply and divide one-digit whole numbers by unit fractions. | Adding fractions game, add and subtract worksheets |
The game covers proper fractions from halves to twelfths: naming them, equivalent fractions, comparing, and adding and subtracting with like denominators. It does not do fair-share story problems, improper fractions or mixed numbers, decimals, or multiplying with fractions yet. For those, use drawings, cubes or counters in class, and our worksheets for the parts we cover.
Fair sharing, the Ontario way in
Share 3 pancakes among 4 friends: cut each pancake into fourths, and each friend gets 3 of the pieces, which is 3/4 of a pancake.
One third is two sixths
Cut each third in half and the amount stays the same. This is Grade 2's B1.7, and the start of equivalent fractions.
Counting by unit fractions
Grade 4 students count by fourths: 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 = 1, then on past one whole. The numerator tells you how many fourths you have counted.
Adding like fractions
In Grade 5, 2/8 + 3/8 = 5/8. The pieces are eighths both times, so you add how many pieces there are and keep the denominator.
Play: equivalent fractions
The Magic Knife cuts every slice in two, so students watch 1/3 turn into 2/6.
Equivalent fractions
Free to play · no signup · works on phones, tablets and computers
Equivalent fractions chart
Compare the fractions
Add fractions with like denominators
Play: compare the fractions
In Bigger Slice, students race the bakery cat to pick who got more cake. Every fraction is read aloud.
Comparing fractions
Free to play · no signup · works on phones, tablets and computers
Using it in an Ontario classroom
- Chromebooks: it runs in Chrome with nothing to install and no student accounts.
- Google Classroom: share the game link to your class in one click, locked to one topic if you like.
- French Immersion: the game is in English only for now.
- Privacy: no logins, no ads, no student data. See the privacy policy.
Questions
Which grade does the game suit best?
Grades 3 to 5. Grade 2 students can play the early halves, thirds and quarters levels, ideally with an adult nearby.
Does it cover the Grade 6 fraction expectations?
Not yet. This page stops at Grade 5 because the game doesn't cover unlike denominators, mixed numbers or fraction operations beyond adding and subtracting like fractions.
Is this an official Ontario resource?
No. We made Fraction Bakery ourselves; it isn't endorsed by the Ontario Ministry of Education. The expectations above are our plain-language summary of the official curriculum.
Is it free?
Yes. The whole game plays free in the browser, with no sign-up and no ads, and the worksheets print as often as you like.
Take the bakery with you, soon
A Fraction Bakery app for iPhone is on the way. The plan: offline play for the car, a parent report of which fractions have stuck, and the full bakery shelf of prizes. Until then, the whole game is free right here.
Coming soon on theApp Store