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What you'll learn

  • Add fractions with the same denominator by adding only the numerators
  • Why the denominator stays the same when adding or subtracting
  • Spot the common mistake of adding denominators, like 2/7 + 3/7 = 5/14
  • Recognise that fractions like 6/6 or 8/8 equal one whole
  • Subtract a fraction from 1 by first writing 1 as a fraction like 5/5
  • Decide whether to add or subtract in fraction word problems

Chapter by chapter

  1. Adding fractions with the same denominator Free to try

    Year 3 maths · 1

  2. Adding fractions to make one whole

    Year 3 maths · 1

  3. Subtracting fractions with the same denominator

    Year 3 maths · 1

  4. Subtracting a fraction from one whole

    Year 3 maths · 1

  5. Solving missing-number and word problems with fractions

    Year 3 maths · 1

  6. Pizza Master Challenge: adding and subtracting fractions (10 questions)

See every Maths chapter in the chapter library

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Year 3 maths: Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator within one whole

About this adventure

Adding and Subtracting Fractions: Pip's Pizza Parlour is an interactive maths game that teaches children aged 7–9 to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator within one whole, as in the Year 3 national curriculum. Players help Pip the mouse chef serve and share out pizza slices and brownies.

Because every slice is the same size, 2 sevenths plus 3 sevenths makes 5 sevenths. Only the numerator changes: it is the top number and counts the pieces. The denominator stays the same: it is the bottom number and names the size of the pieces. Children find out why 2/7 + 3/7 is not 5/14, that 8/8 is one whole, and how to take a fraction away from 1.

Pip reads every step aloud. Players tap to serve slices, type answers on a fraction keypad and get a hint after a mistake, then finish with the 10-question Pizza Master Challenge.

Questions and answers

How do you add fractions with the same denominator?

Add the numerators and keep the denominator the same. For 3/8 + 4/8, add 3 and 4 to get 7, so the answer is 7/8, because the pieces are still eighths and haven't changed size.

Why don't you add the denominators when adding fractions?

The denominator tells you the size of the pieces, and adding more pieces doesn't change their size. Writing 2/7 + 3/7 = 5/14 is a common mistake: fourteenths are much smaller pieces, so 5/14 is less than the real answer, 5/7.

How do you subtract a fraction from 1?

Write the 1 as a fraction with the same denominator, then subtract the numerators. For 1 − 2/5, one whole is 5/5, and 5/5 − 2/5 = 3/5.

What age is this fractions game for?

It is made for children aged 7 to 9 and follows the Year 3 national curriculum in England, where pupils add and subtract fractions with the same denominator within one whole. Older children can use it to revise the basics.

What does the game include and how long does it take?

The game has five chapters, an optional warm-up on fraction words and a 10-question final challenge. Playing everything takes about 40 minutes. Each chapter takes around 6 to 8 minutes and can be played on its own.

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