Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 7

Securing understanding of addition and subtraction with fractions

I can generalise and fluently use addition and subtraction strategies to calculate with fractions and mixed numbers.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 7

Securing understanding of addition and subtraction with fractions

I can generalise and fluently use addition and subtraction strategies to calculate with fractions and mixed numbers.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. To make the denominators the same, you may need to scale up or down.
  2. It can be easier to add/subtract the wholes and then add/subtract the fractions.
  3. Improper fractions can help when exchanging/regrouping is required.

Keywords

  • Improper fraction - An improper fraction is a fraction where the numerator is greater than or equal to the denominator.

  • Mixed number - A mixed number is an improper fraction written as its integer part plus the fractional part where the fractional part is a proper fraction.

  • LCM - LCM is an abbreviation for lowest common multiple.

Common misconception

When partitioning mixed numbers and subtracting incorrectly subtracting the fractional part.

Use an integer example to show the structure of partitioning. E.g. 28 - 15 = (20 + 8) - (10 + 5) = (20 - 10) + (8 - 5) not (20 - 10)-(8 - 5)

In the second learning cycle get pupils to create their own questions to go into the 2 boxes, 'simplify first' and 'common denominator'.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on

Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
When subtracting fractions you must have .
a common numerator
Correct answer: a common denominator
the largest fraction first
Q2.
Which of the following are not common denominators of $${1}\over{4}$$ and $${7}\over{20}$$?
Correct answer: 4
20
Correct answer: 24
40
Q3.
Which symbol is missing here? $$\frac{2}{9} + \frac{1}{8} \square \frac{2}{9} + \frac{1}{7}$$.
Correct answer: <
>
=
?
Q4.
Calculate $${7}\over{12}$$ - $${1}\over{3}$$.
$${4}\over{9}$$
Correct answer: $${3}\over{12}$$
$${4}\over{12}$$
$${8}\over{15}$$
Q5.
Which of the following is not a correct alternative for $${3}\over{8}$$ - $${3}\over{4}$$ + $${7}\over{16}$$?
$${3}\over{8}$$ + $${7}\over{16}$$ - $${3}\over{4}$$
$${3}\over{8}$$ + $${7}\over{16}$$ + $$\left(-\frac34\right)$$
Correct answer: $${3}\over{8}$$ - $$\left(\frac{3}{4} + \frac{7}{16}\right)$$
Q6.
Calculate $${3}\over{8}$$ - $${3}\over{4}$$ + $${7}\over{16}$$.
$$\left(-\frac4{16}\right)$$
$${7}\over{4}$$
$${7}\over{12}$$
Correct answer: $${1}\over{16}$$

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the name of a number that has both an integer part and a fractional part?
Correct Answer: mixed number, mixed
Q2.
Which of the following is $$3 {{2} \over {3}}$$ as an improper fraction?
$${32}\over{3}$$
$${18}\over{3}$$
Correct answer: $${11}\over{3}$$
$${8}\over{3}$$
Q3.
Which of the following show a correct first step to calculate $$3 {{1} \over {3}}$$ - $$1 {{5} \over {6}}$$?
Correct answer: $${10}\over{3}$$ - $${11}\over{6}$$
$${7}\over{3}$$ - $${11}\over{6}$$
Correct answer: (3 - 1) + $$\left(\frac13-\frac56\right)$$
(3 - 1) - $$\left(\frac13-\frac56\right)$$
Q4.
Which of the following can be simplified before calculating?
$${5}\over{8}$$ + $${3}\over{7}$$
Correct answer: $${4}\over{9}$$ - $${5}\over{15}$$
Correct answer: $${2}\over{5}$$ + $${4}\over{16}$$
$${2}\over{3}$$ - $${2}\over{7}$$
Q5.
What is the missing digit in this calculation $$1 {{1} \over {3}}$$ + $$2 {{\square} \over {6}}$$ = $$4 {{1} \over {6}}$$?
1
2
3
4
Correct answer: 5
Q6.
Calculate $$3 {{1} \over {3}}$$ - $$1 {{5} \over {6}}$$, give your answer in its simplest form.
$${3}\over{2}$$
$${9}\over{6}$$
Correct answer: $$1 {{1} \over {2}}$$
$$2 {{1} \over {2}}$$