Half
Year 1Week 1
Year 1 Fractions Worksheets
10 worksheets across 2 weeks
Our free Year 1 Fractions worksheets introduce children aged 5-6 to the concepts of halves and quarters, fully aligned to the England National Curriculum. Fractions can seem abstract to young children, which is why our worksheets use clear visual representations and practical examples to make these ideas concrete and accessible. Building a solid understanding of halves and quarters in Year 1 is essential, as fractions become increasingly important throughout primary school and into Key Stage 2. The 10 worksheets are organised across 2 weeks of daily practice. Week 1 focuses entirely on halves, where children learn to recognise a half as one of two equal parts. They practise halving shapes, objects, and quantities, developing an intuitive understanding of what it means to split something equally into two. Week 2 introduces quarters, extending children's understanding to one of four equal parts and building on the halving skills established in the first week. Each worksheet includes fluency questions for building quick recognition of fractions in visual form, word problems that place halves and quarters in everyday situations such as sharing food or folding paper, and reasoning challenges that ask children to explain whether a shape has been divided equally or to spot mistakes in fraction diagrams. This three-section structure mirrors the National Curriculum aims and ensures well-rounded understanding. Parents can reinforce fractions at home by cutting sandwiches, fruit, or pizza into halves and quarters and asking their child to describe the pieces using fraction language. Folding paper into equal parts is another simple but effective activity. Teachers can use these worksheets as follow-up practice after practical fraction lessons or as structured homework. By completing this topic, children will confidently recognise, find, and name halves and quarters of shapes, objects, and quantities. They will understand that fractions must represent equal parts and will be able to use this knowledge to solve simple fraction problems. These skills provide the critical foundation for the expanded fractions work in Year 2 and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What fractions should a Year 1 child understand?
- By the end of Year 1, children should recognise, find, and name a half as one of two equal parts of an object, shape, or quantity. They should also recognise, find, and name a quarter as one of four equal parts.
- How do I help my child understand fractions?
- Use practical, hands-on activities to make fractions real. Cut food items such as sandwiches, apples, or pizza into halves and quarters and ask your child to describe each piece. Fold pieces of paper in half, then in half again to make quarters, and discuss how many equal parts there are. Use the language of equal parts consistently, as this is the key idea children need to grasp. Avoid moving on to quarters until your child is fully confident with halves. When completing worksheets together, encourage your child to check whether parts are equal before deciding if a shape shows a half or a quarter.
- When should my child be able to find fractions of quantities?
- The Year 1 curriculum focuses on finding halves and quarters of objects, shapes, and small quantities. Children should be able to find half of a group of objects, for example half of 8 sweets is 4, by the end of Year 1. Finding quarters of quantities, such as a quarter of 12, is also introduced. In Year 2, children extend this to find fractions of larger quantities and begin working with thirds. Regular practice with our worksheets helps children build the confidence to work with fractions of both shapes and numbers.
- How many questions are in each fractions worksheet?
- Each worksheet contains between 8 and 12 questions across three sections: fluency, word problems, and reasoning. Fluency questions include identifying and shading halves or quarters of shapes. Word problems place fractions in sharing and real-life contexts, and reasoning questions ask children to explain or compare. Each worksheet takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.