How to add fractions.

Adding fractions looks simple until the denominators do not match. Study Butler does not hand your kid a common denominator and move on. It asks what they notice about the bottoms of the fractions first, then helps them figure out what to do about it on purpose.

Create a free account No credit card required.

Here is what that looks like.

Study Butler will not print the answer. It points at the next step and lets your kid take it.

An example. The butler answers the question with a question.

i need to add 1/4 + 1/6. can i just add the numerators and denominators? so 1+1 over 4+6, which is 2/10?

let me ask you this: if you have 1/4 of a pizza and 1/6 of a pizza, does combining them give you 2/10 of a pizza? does that make sense?

hmm, i guess not. but why can't i just add them like regular numbers?

good question. think about what the denominator actually means. when you write 1/4, what does that 4 tell you about how the pizza is divided?

oh, it means the pizza is cut into 4 equal pieces.

exactly. and 1/6 means it's cut into 6 equal pieces. so if the pizzas are cut into different numbers of pieces, can you just add the pieces together without doing something first?

Where students get stuck.

The same few mistakes come up again and again. Here is where the butler slows things down.

01Adding the denominators instead of finding a common one

When students see two numbers, they want to add them all. The butler asks your kid what the denominator actually means before any numbers get combined, which stops the bottom-plus-bottom mistake at the source.

02Finding a common denominator but forgetting to adjust the numerator

Students often change the denominator correctly and then leave the numerator untouched. The butler asks what happened to the size of each piece when the denominator changed, which makes the numerator adjustment feel necessary rather than arbitrary.

03Leaving an answer that is not in simplest form

A correct sum that is not reduced looks wrong on a test and costs points. The butler asks whether the answer can be written in a simpler way, building the habit of checking rather than stopping at the first correct-looking number.

Bring the problem they're stuck on.

Type it, say it, or snap a photo. Study Butler walks your kid to the answer one question at a time, so they learn it instead of copying it.

Create a free account

Questions parents ask.

Why do the denominators have to be the same before you add?

Denominators tell you what size the pieces are. Adding thirds to fifths without converting is like adding apples to oranges and calling them the same fruit. Study Butler helps your kid see that through questions before showing any steps.

How do you find the least common denominator?

You look for the smallest number that both denominators divide into evenly. That might mean listing multiples or using prime factors, depending on the numbers. Study Butler helps your kid choose the approach that fits the problem in front of them.

Will Study Butler just tell my kid what the common denominator is?

No. It asks questions that lead your kid to find it themselves. The goal is that they can walk into the next problem and do it without help.

Keep going.

More on math, taught the same way. Or see every math topic.

Math How to add and subtract fractions Walk through it Math The rules of exponents Walk through it Math How to factor a quadratic Walk through it