Decimals Teaching Resources
Browse decimal worksheets, math center activities, engaging games and more fun ways to bring this concept to life in your elementary classroom.
This teaching resource collection was created by the teachers on the Teach Starter team and includes activities to help students learn to convert fractions into decimals and vice versa, as well as printables that will help them learn how to read and write decimals using place value and the decimal point, how to round decimals and more!
Build students' understanding of using decimals in money and measurement with curriculum-aligned teaching resources so you can meet Common Core and state standards.
New to this concept in the math classroom, or just looking for some fresh ideas for teaching about decimals? Explore a primer from the teachers on the Teach Starter team!
What Are Decimals? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Explaining decimals to your class? Here's a kid-friendly definition that will help!
A decimal is a special way to write parts of a whole number. Decimals are a lot like fractions, but instead of using numbers like 1/2 or 1/4, we use a dot called a decimal point to separate the whole number part from the part that is less than one.
The number before the decimal tells you how many wholes you have, and the digits after the decimal point tell you how many groups of one-tenth, one-hundredth or one-thousandth you have.
One of the most common places students will encounter decimals in real life is when using money — the dollar is a whole number, while cents are a part of the whole and are typically represented beyond a decimal point.
How Do You Turn a Decimal Into a Fraction and Vice Versa?
Turning decimals into fractions and doing the reverse are both important skills for students to develop. Here are simple processes for doing just that!
How to Turn a Decimal Into a Fraction
- Write down the digits in the decimal over its place value.
- For example, if you have the decimal 0.75 (seventy-five hundredths), you would write it as 75/100.
- Simplify the fraction by finding the greatest common factor (GCF) of the numerator and denominator and dividing both by it.
- In the example above, the GCF of 75 and 100 is 25, so dividing both by 25 gives you the simplified fraction 3/4. This means 0.75 as a fraction is 3/4.
How to Turn a Fraction Into a Decimal
To turn a fraction into a decimal, your students will need to divide the numerator (top number) by the denominator (bottom number).
- Divide the numerator by the denominator.
- If the numerator does not divide evenly by the denominator, add zeroes to the dividend to continue the division to as many decimal places as needed or desired. Don't forget to add a decimal point after the digit found in the denominator!
- Round the decimal to the desired number of decimal places, if necessary.
How Do You Round Decimals?
Another skill students need to learn is the process of rounding decimals to the nearest whole number or to a specific decimal place. This will allow them to simplify numbers, making them easier to work with! This comes in handy when doing things such as rounding to the nearest dollar amount when working with money.
Rounding can also be used to get a general sense of a number without worrying about the exact value, which can be helpful in certain situations, such as estimating a budget or measurement.
To round a decimal to the nearest whole number, you need to look at the digit to the right of the decimal point.
- If that digit is 5 or greater, you round up to the next whole number.
- If that digit is 4 or less, you round down to the current whole number.
For example, let's say you want to round the decimal 3.7 to the nearest whole number. The digit to the right of the decimal point is 7, which is 5 or greater, so you round up to 4.
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Decimal Operations Worksheet
Get students applying the four operations to decimal numbers with this set of two math worksheets.
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Multiplying Decimals – Word Problem Task Cards
Solve a variety of word problems by multiplying decimals with this set of 24 task cards.
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Decimal War Card Game
Get your students comparing decimals with this fun card game for two players.
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Describe That Decimal Worksheet
Explore the place value of decimals with this versatile one-page printable worksheet.
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Math Mazes (Equivalent Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages)
Determine equivalent fractions, decimals, and percentages with this puzzling math maze.
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Multiplying with Decimals Bingo Game
Get your students multiplying decimals by whole numbers with this engaging Bingo game.
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Tenths and Hundredths as Decimals Worksheet Pack
Get your students representing tenths and hundredths as decimals using concrete models, visual models and money with this set of 4th grade math worksheets.
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Estimating Decimal Sums and Differences – Worksheet
Refine rounding skills with an estimating decimal sums and differences worksheet.
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Fractions, Decimals and Percentages Worksheets
Use these fractions, decimals and percentages worksheets in your upper elementary classroom for independent practice or as an assessment activity.
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Comparing and Ordering Decimals Worksheet
Get students comparing and ordering decimals to the thousandths place with this printable worksheet.
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Fractions and Decimals Matching Game
Practice matching equivalent fractions and decimals with this set of 15 cards that focus on tenths and hundredths place values.
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Place Value Chart with Decimals
Display this place value anchor chart in your classroom to remind your students of place value from millions to millionths.
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Fractions and Decimals Assessment
Assess students' knowledge of various decimals and percentages concepts with this four-page worksheet.
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Compare and Order Decimals – 5th Grade Math Worksheet
Build decimal place value understanding with a printable worksheet for comparing and ordering decimals.
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Calculating Discounts and Sale Price Teaching Slides
Teach your students how to calculate discounts and sale prices using fractions and decimals with this comprehensive teaching presentation.
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Comparing Decimals with Visual Models Task Cards
Get students comparing and ordering decimals using visual models with this set of 24 task cards perfect for math centers.
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Roll and Round Dice Game
Help your student refine their rounding skills with this set of 7 printable math games.
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Fraction, Percentage and Decimal Word Wall Vocabulary
Print a set of fraction, percentage and decimal vocabulary for use on a math word wall.
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Place Value Chart – Printable Banner
Use this printable place value chart filled with different ways to represent a number in your classroom.
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Converting Decimals, Fractions, and Percentages – Worksheet
Strengthen your students’ understanding of how to convert a percent to a decimal and a fraction with this worksheet.
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Relating Decimals and Fractions Worksheet
Practice matching fractions with a denominator of 10 and 100 to decimals and vice versa.
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Comparing and Ordering Decimals Task Cards
Have students practice comparing and ordering decimals to the thousandths place with this set of 16 task cards.
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Naming Decimals Worksheet
Get students applying decimal place value skills to represent numbers to the thousandths place in standard, word and expanded form.
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Representing Hundredths Worksheet
Have students demonstrate their understanding of hundredths with this simple one-page worksheet.
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Representing Decimals with Visual Models Task Cards
Explore visual representations of decimals with your students using this set of 24 task cards perfect for math centers.
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Dividing Decimals by Whole Numbers Worksheet Pack
Download these dividing decimals by whole numbers worksheets to provide your students with practice using visual models and the standard algorithm.
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Multiplying Decimals by Decimals Worksheet Pack
Download these multiplying decimals by decimals worksheets to provide your students with practice using visual models, area models and the standard algorithm.
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Top Secret Scavenger Hunt – Estimating Decimal Sums and Differences
Join the decimal scavenger hunt adventure! Download our printable scavenger hunt and guide your students to sharpen their estimation skills by using decimal benchmark values when finding sums and differences.
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Decimals on Number Lines - Math Game
Review how to identify and place decimals on a number line with a set of printable math games.
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Fraction Representations Posters - Whole, Halves, Thirds, Fourths, and Fifths
A set of posters showing the different representations of benchmark fractions.
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Decimals on Number Lines - Task Cards
Sharpen your students’ abilities to identify decimals on a number line with a set of task cards.
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Decimal War Board Game
Compare decimals by means of numerals, words and Base 10 block representations with this printable board game.