Hello everyone! Today, we’re going to talk about a cool tool called Frax that helps you learn fractions in a fun way. Let’s dive in and see why Frax might just be the best tool for learning fractions!
Frax is an educational program created by Explore Learning. It’s designed to help students understand fractions better. Unlike other tools that just let you practice fractions, Frax helps you really understand what fractions are and how they work. It uses both virtual tools and numbers to make learning fractions easier and more fun.
Frax is special because it uses research-based methods to teach fractions. This means that the way it teaches is proven to be effective. Many other tools don’t do this, so Frax stands out. Plus, it makes learning fractions an adventure!
When you use Frax, you go on an outer space adventure with a group of ferrets and robots. You might need to use fractions to collect fuel for your spaceship or gather ingredients for space soup. This makes learning fractions exciting and part of a story.
Frax keeps you interested with fun activities. Instead of boring quizzes, you might play a game where a cat interacts with aliens and answers questions. You can also earn coins to decorate your room on the spaceship, which adds a fun reward for your hard work.
Frax introduces important concepts like improper fractions early on, helping you build a strong foundation in fractions. You can access the first five missions for free, with one mission available each day. This way, you won’t get tired of learning, and it stays exciting.
Frax also has a special dashboard for teachers. This helps them see how well students are doing and what they might need help with. There’s even a game show feature that makes assessments more fun!
Overall, Frax is a fantastic tool for learning fractions. It makes learning fun, uses proven teaching methods, and keeps you engaged with exciting adventures. If you’re looking to improve your fraction skills, Frax is definitely worth checking out!
Thanks for joining us, and happy learning!
Fraction Hunt: Go on a fraction hunt around your home or classroom! Look for objects that can be divided into fractions. For example, a pizza can be divided into slices, or a chocolate bar can be broken into pieces. Draw a picture of what you find and label the fractions. How many different fractions can you find?
Fraction Art: Create a piece of art using fractions! Use colored paper or crayons to make a picture. Divide your picture into different sections and color each section a different fraction. For example, color 1/2 of the picture blue, 1/4 red, and 1/4 yellow. Share your artwork with a friend and explain the fractions you used.
Everyday Fractions: Think about how you use fractions in your daily life. Do you ever use fractions when cooking or sharing snacks with friends? Write a short story or draw a comic strip about a time you used fractions in real life. Share your story with the class and discuss how fractions are important in everyday activities.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hello everyone, I’m Tanner, and I’m here with my colleague Chrissy. We are both editors at Common Sense Education, where we review a lot of educational technology and learning resources. Today, we’re excited to discuss one of our recent reviews.
Chrissy, you wrote this review, so let’s dive into the tool and see how we evaluated it. The tool is called Frax, which is an Explore Learning product. We ended up giving it five stars, which is quite rare for us. Our platform is fairly selective, and I believe only about three to five percent of products receive a five-star rating, so this is a notable case.
Frax stands out for several reasons. Firstly, it focuses on fractions, but not just as practice. Many products assume that kids have some familiarity with fractions and are designed to mimic off-screen manipulatives or simply practice dividing items like pizza. What makes Frax different is that it guides students through the concepts to build a deeper understanding of what fractions are, how they function, and what they look like, using both virtual manipulatives and numerals.
Additionally, Frax is built upon existing research regarding effective instruction for fractions, which is unfortunately not very common. It’s exciting to see a developer align their learning design with evidence-based practices.
Now, let me share my screen so you can see some screenshots from the review. The entire program is set in an outer space adventure featuring a dynamic group of ferrets. There are also robots involved, and fractions are integrated into the storyline. For example, students might need to work with fractions to gather fuel canisters or ingredients for space soup.
The program includes engaging mechanics that keep students interested. For instance, after completing certain tasks, the game introduces new challenges at just the right moment to maintain engagement. Instead of a standard multiple-choice quiz, there’s a fun assessment involving a cat that interacts with alien beings and answers questions.
Students get access to the first five missions for free, with only one mission available per day. This approach helps prevent burnout and keeps the learning experience fresh. The program also features a teacher dashboard, and I noticed a new game show mechanic that serves as another form of assessment.
The rewards area allows students to decorate their room on the spaceship based on the coins they earn, but the choices are limited enough to prevent distraction. This design restraint helps maintain focus on learning while still providing a sense of personalization.
Frax also introduces the concept of improper fractions early on, which is a thoughtful approach to scaffolding learning. Overall, this tool is definitely worth checking out, and it has received a five-star review from us.
We’ll link the review in the description, along with a link to the Common Sense Education site, where you can browse over 3,000 reviews. We hope you find this information helpful, and we plan to continue sharing insights regularly. Thank you for joining us!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
