3rd grade unit fractions & parts of a whole worksheets

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Fraction worksheets for third grade show a shaded fraction bar for every problem and ask for the fraction it shows. Parts run up through sixths and eighths, so reading the denominator from the drawing becomes automatic.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 3.NF.A.1, 3.G.A.2.

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The kind of problems you'll get

Write the shaded fraction using the number of equal parts shown. Each shape is one whole.

  1. A whole is split into four equal parts. What is one part called?

    Answer: One fourth: 1/4.

Most problems on this sheet sit beside a picture, model or diagram, so this is the worked example the sheet itself prints. The answer key on page two prints the answer under every problem.

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on a 3rd grade sheet

The sample sheet above has 10 problems. The 2nd grade sample has 8. This sheet is aligned to 3.NF.A.1, 3.G.A.2. The 2nd grade sheet is aligned to 2.G.A.3. This grade also prints partitioning shapes into equal parts, which 2nd grade does not.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key after the problems.

How to teach this

Before writing anything, ask two questions in order: "how many equal parts?" then "how many are shaded?" Bottom, then top, every time. When an answer comes out as 2/3 or 5/6, have your child point to each shaded part while counting the numerator aloud.

Watch for: Kids count the shaded parts for both numbers. The bottom counts all the equal parts, the top counts only the shaded ones. Kids assume a bigger bottom number means a bigger fraction. It is the other way round: more equal parts means smaller parts, so 1/8 is smaller than 1/2.

Common questions about 3rd grade unit fractions & parts of a whole

What's new compared to the 2nd grade sheets?
More parts (up through sixths and eighths) and more shaded pieces per bar, so answers like 5/6 appear alongside the unit fractions.
Why is the bottom number the one to check first?
The denominator names the size of every piece. Once your child knows the whole is cut into sixths, counting the shaded ones is the easy half.

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Aligned to Common Core 3.NF.A.1, 3.G.A.2. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated September 2026.

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