Maths hiding in screen time: pause points

Quick answer

Maths is hiding in screen time when you see progress bars, levels, or timers – all of these show parts of a whole, which is a key idea in fractions and percentages.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand how to use progress bars and pause points in screen time to learn about fractions and parts of a whole.

• You can see how a video or game level is divided into parts
• You can say what fraction of the screen time is complete
• You can compare how much of a task has been done
• You can use this to solve simple maths problems

Why this matters

Understanding parts of a whole is a big part of maths, and it’s used in so many ways. When you watch a video, play a game, or even wait for your turn, you're seeing fractions in action. Progress bars show how much of something is done. This helps you learn about sharing, timing, and how things grow or change. You can use this knowledge to help you plan your screen time, understand how long things take, and even win games!

How it works

Think of a video or game level as a whole object. The progress bar shows you how much of that object has been completed. For example, if a video is 100% complete, it means it’s finished. If it’s 50% complete, it means half is done. This is the same as saying half of the video is watched. When you see a progress bar, you're seeing a visual fraction.

Here's how it works:

1. Look at a progress bar on a screen
2. See how much of the bar is filled
3. Decide what fraction of the whole is complete
4. Use that to understand how much time or progress is left

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you’re watching a video on YouTube. The video is 10 minutes long. The progress bar shows that 3 minutes have already played.

Step 1: The video is 10 minutes long.

Step 2: 3 minutes have played.

Step 3: What fraction of the video is complete?

Answer: 3 out of 10 minutes = 3/10 of the video is complete.

Another example: You’re playing a game and it’s on level 4 of 10. The progress bar shows you’ve completed 4 out of 10 levels.

Step 1: There are 10 levels in total.

Step 2: You’ve completed 4 levels.

Step 3: What fraction of the game have you finished?

Answer: 4 out of 10 = 4/10 or 2/5 of the game is done.

Let’s try one more with time. You have 20 minutes to finish your homework. You’ve spent 10 minutes. What fraction of your time is used?

Step 1: Total time = 20 minutes

Step 2: Time spent = 10 minutes

Step 3: What fraction of the time is used?

Answer: 10 out of 20 = 10/20 or 1/2 of the time is used.

Try it as a mini adventure

Let’s go on a screen-time adventure! You are a detective trying to solve a mystery using progress bars. Here’s your mission:

Adventure 1: You are watching a 15-minute video. The progress bar shows that 5 minutes have passed. What fraction of the video is complete?

Adventure 2: You’re playing a game that has 12 levels. You’ve completed 6 levels. What fraction of the game have you done?

Adventure 3: You have 30 minutes to play a game. You’ve played for 15 minutes. What fraction of your time is used?

Adventure 4: You're watching a 25-minute movie. The progress bar shows 10 minutes have passed. What fraction of the movie is complete?

Adventure 5: You're on level 8 of a game with 16 levels. What fraction of the game have you completed?

Common mistakes

• Mistake: Thinking that 5 out of 10 is the same as 5/10 = 50% but forgetting to simplify it to 1/2.
• Why it happens: Not knowing how to simplify fractions.
• Fix: Learn that 5/10 = 1/2 because both numbers can be divided by 5.
• Mistake: Confusing the numerator and denominator when looking at a progress bar.
• Why it happens: Not understanding which number is the part and which is the whole.
• Fix: Remember: top number = part, bottom number = whole.
• Mistake: Not realising that 100% means the whole is done.
• Why it happens: Thinking that 100% is a big number but not understanding it means complete.
• Fix: 100% = the whole thing, 50% = half, 25% = a quarter.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child learn about fractions using screen time. Here’s how:

• Point out progress bars on games or videos and ask your child what fraction is complete.
• Use a timer to show how much time is left in an activity.
• Ask your child to predict how much time is left or how much of a game is done.
• Play fraction games using the screen time examples – for example, “If you’ve watched 3 out of 6 videos, what fraction have you watched?”
• Encourage your child to say “half,” “quarter,” or “third” when they see a progress bar.

Remember, learning is fun when it's part of play and screen time. Don’t worry if your child makes mistakes – they’re learning!

Practice questions

1. Question: A 20-minute video has played 5 minutes. What fraction is complete?
2. Answer: 5/20 = 1/4
3. Question: You’re on level 3 of 12. What fraction of the game is done?
4. Answer: 3/12 = 1/4
5. Question: You’ve played 15 minutes of a 30-minute game. What fraction of the game is complete?
6. Answer: 15/30 = 1/2
7. Question: A 25-minute movie has played 10 minutes. What fraction is complete?
8. Answer: 10/25 = 2/5
9. Question: You’ve completed 8 levels of 16. What fraction of the game is done?
10. Answer: 8/16 = 1/2

FAQ

What is a fraction?

A fraction is a way to show part of a whole. For example, if you eat 3 slices out of 8 slices of pizza, you’ve eaten 3/8 of the pizza.

How can I use progress bars in maths?

Progress bars show how much of something is done. You can use this to find out what fraction of a video, game, or task is complete.

Why do we need to learn about fractions?

Fractions help us understand sharing, time, and how much of something is done. They’re used in cooking, time, money, and games.

Can I use this to plan my screen time?

Yes! If you know how much of a video or game is complete, you can plan how much more time you want to spend.

What if I don’t know how to simplify fractions?

That’s okay! You can always find a simpler version by dividing both numbers by the same number. For example, 6/12 can be simplified to 1/2.