Week 3 of 8
Week 3
4th Grade → 5th Grade · Fractions equivalent and Root words
Math
Equivalent Fractions
Fractions that name the same amount, like 2/3 and 8/12: multiply the top and the bottom by the same number. Fourth grade, after fractions as parts of a whole in third grade.
The mistake to watch for. Multiplying only the bottom number, which changes the amount. Whatever you do to the denominator, do to the numerator too.
How to help. Draw two bars of the same size: one cut into 3 parts with 2 shaded, one cut into 12 parts. Shade the same amount and count: 8.
A worked example
2/3 = ___/12. The bottom number went from 3 to 12, which is × 4. Do the same to the top: 2 × 4 = 8. So 2/3 = 8/12.
Reading & language
Greek and Latin Roots
Recognizing a shared word part (usually from Greek or Latin) that carries meaning across many English words — bio means life in biology, biography, and antibiotic. Fourth grade.
The mistake to watch for. Assuming any matching letters are the root — spotting "art" inside "start" and treating it as meaningful, when it's coincidental.
How to help. Confirm the root's meaning actually fits the word's meaning before treating a match as real. If the meaning doesn't connect, the letters matching is a coincidence, not a root.
A worked example
The Latin root 'aqua' means water, so an aquarium is a place for water animals. Learn a root and you can guess many words: aquatic, aqueduct.
Words for this week
- fraction
- A number that names equal parts of a whole, like 3/4.
- numerator
- The top number in a fraction. It tells how many parts we mean.
- denominator
- The bottom number in a fraction. It tells how many equal parts the whole is cut into.
- equivalent
- Equal in value. 1/2 and 2/4 are equivalent fractions.
- multiply
- To add the same number again and again, in a faster way.
- root
- The main part of a word that other parts are added to, like aqua in aquarium.
- prefix
- A group of letters added to the front of a word to change its meaning, like un- in unhappy.
- suffix
- A group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning, like -ful in helpful.
- meaning
- What a word or a sentence tells you.
- word
- A group of letters that has a meaning.
Read this week
Kidneys
A short the human body article from our Learn library, chosen for this reading level. Read it together, then ask your child to tell you one new thing they learned.