Bigger pieces
Simplifying never changes how much you have. It trades lots of small pieces for fewer big ones. Find a chunk size that fits, predict the new fraction, then snap.
The golden rule
Whatever you divide the top by, divide the bottom by the same number. Try the right way and the common mistakes. Work out each answer and predict what happens before you see it.
Factor rainbows
A factor divides into a number with nothing left over. Build each rainbow yourself: test 2, 3, 4 and up, and find each one's partner. When the numbers meet in the middle, you've found them all.
Prime trees
Grow a factor tree for each number. Split a number into two numbers that multiply to it, and keep going until every branch ends in a prime. Then cancel the primes that match.
Wholes and leftovers
When the top is bigger than the bottom, you have more than one whole. Simplify, figure out how many whole bars fill up, then write the leftover as a fraction.
Mistake detective
Each case shows a student's answer. Solve it yourself first, then name what the student did. You only get one pick, and cases you miss come back later.
Story problems
Read carefully: some questions ask about the part that's left, or give you two groups that you have to add up for the whole.
Challenge
Simplify all the way, with a mixed number when the top is bigger. Hints never give away your answer. Rushed or repeated misses switch to show-your-work steps.