Grade 5 Math Flashcards: Adding and Subtracting Fractions

About This Resource

8 pages of printable cut-out cards (vocabulary cards; fraction bar cards; sum cards) for matching, sorting and word-wall display.

Overview

Students learn WHY we need a common denominator before adding or subtracting fractions: you can only add pieces of the same size. Fraction bars make the idea visible before any rule is used. Students then add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators, simplify answers, work with mixed numbers, and check answers by estimating with benchmarks (0, 1/2, 1).

Resource Details

Subject: Math
Topic: Adding and Subtracting Fractions
Category: Fractions & Decimals
File Type: PDF
File Size: 358.3 KB
Published: 21 Oct 2026
Downloads: 0

Download

Free download — no account required.

Teaching this in class? Try our free Random Name Picker & Timer.

Looking for something different? Request a Resource.

How to Present

Print on card if possible, cut along the dashed lines.
Use for matching, sorting, snap and memory games (see the Teacher Resources).
Display on the word wall during the unit.

Games & Speaking Activities

Fraction Strip Proof (12 minutes, Pairs): Give each pair a sum card, e.g. 1/2 + 1/4. They build both fractions with strips and line them up under a whole strip.
Fraction War (10 minutes, Pairs): Each player turns over two cards and adds them. The bigger sum wins all four cards.
Closer to 0, 1/2 or 1? (8 minutes, Whole class): Show a sum or difference, e.g. 7/8 + 1/10. Students walk to the sign closest to the answer — no exact calculation!

Teacher Tips

Use the phrase "same-size pieces" every lesson — it is the big idea. Let students discover the 2/6 mistake themselves with bars before teaching the rule.

Learning Objectives

Explain why fractions need the same denominator (same-size pieces) before adding or subtracting.
Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators by finding equivalent fractions.
Add and subtract mixed numbers, including regrouping a whole.
Estimate with benchmark fractions to check that an answer is reasonable.
Solve word problems involving adding and subtracting fractions.

Differentiation

Support: Always start with fraction strips; write the numbers only after the bars. Challenge: Add three fractions: 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/6. English language learners: Sentence frames: "I need the same denominator because ___." "___ is the same as ___."

Assessment

Exit tickets in each lesson. Worksheet Parts A–F with the answer key. Mid-unit Quiz (12 marks) after lesson 2. Unit Test (24 marks) at the end. Homework after each lesson. Performance task (rubric): "Fraction Recipe" — change a recipe and explain the fraction calculations.