Teaching Fractions through Storytelling

This practice focused on teaching fractions to third-grade primary school pupils through storytelling, using a narrative approach to present mathematical concepts in an engaging and relatable way.

The story, A Journey to the Land of Fractions, centers around the protagonist — a fraction character named Takis Klasmatakis — who faces a problem: he cannot grow his numerical value. Throughout the story, students are introduced to foundational concepts of fractions, such as fractional units, equivalent fractions, and comparisons.

Each lesson began with the teacher reading a part of the story, supported by visual materials to enhance understanding. This was followed by class discussions and hands-on activities, making the learning process more interactive and accessible — particularly for students who struggled with mathematics.

By integrating storytelling into mathematics, the approach aimed to make fractions more understandable, engaging, and enjoyable, while fostering both numeracy skills and enthusiasm for learning. The practice is rooted in non-formal education, offering a creative and alternative method for teaching mathematical concepts.

The effectiveness of the practice was evaluated through an empirical research study, which showed that students who participated in the storytelling-based lessons performed better in final assessments, with the greatest improvements observed among those with medium and low prior achievement.

Kaiafa, I. (2020). Teaching fractions to third-grade primary school pupils through storytelling. Research in Mathematics Education, 0(14), 35–59.