AIMS Fabulous Fractions~TOS Review

The latest item I have been reviewing is one that many can relate to. Having a child struggle with math and/or science can put us moms in a hard place. That is why I was so glad to get a chance to review Fabulous Fractions from AIMS Hands on Math and Science. Fractions just seem to be a really difficult concept for most people including myself. This activity book is really useful in helping your child “see” the relationships in fractions.

While written in a format more familiar in institutional schools, homeschoolers can easily modify the activities for a smaller group. Each lesson or activity has a materials list, procedure to walk you through it step by step, and questions for connecting the learning and following up on the concept.

Every activity has pages you can copy (or print from the included CD) right after the lesson to use during the teaching. The Connecting the Learning questions are located immediately after the hands on pages. I really appreciated this since it meant I could review the lesson myself before hand and then print/copy those pages for the activity. That way I was not reading straight from the lesson and did not risk losing my son’s attention.

  Click image for sample preview

I also received a manipulative to be used with this particular activity book. The Fraction Transparencies are just that, transparency film divided into various fractions. So simple yet powerful, when you over lay them one on top of another your child can better understand how various fractions can be equivalent. I am planning on looking into some of the other manipulatives for the fall.

I loved using this with my son and even though the format of the lesson plan is a little overwhelming at first it really is easy to use. I find it helped to walk through it myself first before teaching it just so I was sure of what was being taught. Don’t be put off by the format though, it is just what schools are used to seeing. Once you get the hang of reading the lesson plan you will see just how valuable AIMS activity books are.

Be sure and visit their special AIMS for homeschool  page and take a look around. View and try some of the sample activities to get a good feel for it before you purchase. This is one of my favorite homeschool resources since I know I can always find something to help us out.

Since we reviewed Fabulous Fractions here are the specifics on it. Keep in mind that there are many products to choose from and the prices vary so check the website.

Fabulous Fractions activity book
Grades 3-5
122 pages
“This collection of hands-on experiences seeks to engage students by using manipulatives to develop concepts of fractions and equivalence. For example, in the activity “Fraction Fringe,” students will make colorful paper fringes using paper of the same size but cut into notches of different proportions. One paper is notched in half, another is in fourths, another is in eighths, and so on. Overlapping these fringed papers, students will discover the relationships they have to one another. Numerators, denominators, equivalencies will all be explored with these handy, colorful tools and will provide “aha” moments for your students.

Fabulous Fractions also offers playful and intelligent practice as an integral part of the learning process. Several card games are included that challenge students to apply their understanding of matching or pairing fractions to show equivalence or sums of one.

Each learning experience in this book is designed to help build a concrete basis for thinking about fractions and operations. Many also explore applications to problem solving, geometry, and data display and analysis. Students will benefit as they develop a visual image of the actions that they are taking when working with fractions within an equation.”

Cost:
E-book – 19.95
Softcover book w/ cd – 21.95
Fraction Transparencies – 14.95

Purchase Here

Be sure to read more reviews by clicking the banner at the top of this post.

Mandy

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the above physical product in exchange for my honest review. The experience we have had using this product was based on my families needs you may or may not have a similar experience.