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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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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Fraction, Decimal and Percentage Match-Up Game
Get students converting fractions, decimals and percentages with this hands-on maths game perfect for math centers.
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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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Introducing Decimal Numbers Teaching Slides
Help students understanding decimal place value and the relationship between fractions and decimals with this comprehensive teaching presentation.
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Problem Solving - Mixed Operations
A problem solving worksheet involving mixed operations.
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Dividing by 1,000 Worksheet
A worksheet for students to complete when learning to divide by 1,000.
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Comparing and Ordering Decimals Interactive Activity
Get students to compare and order decimals this grocery-themed interactive digital resource, perfect for lesson introductions and wrap-ups.
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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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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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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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Multiplying Decimals by Decimals Teaching Slides
Teach your students how to multiply decimals by decimals using three different strategies using this step-by-step teaching presentation for upper elementary students.
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Rounding Numbers With Decimals – Teaching Slides and Worksheet for 5th Grade
Teach your students how to round to the nearest whole number, tenth and hundredth with this set of teaching slides and accompanying worksheet.
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Plan a Halloween Party – Estimation Project
Plan your own Halloween party and practice estimating sums, differences and products of whole numbers and decimals with an engaging math project!
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Estimating Decimal Sums and Differences Interactive Activity
Take your students on a safari adventure while practicing how to estimate decimal sums and differences with this interactive activity.
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Halloween Interactive Assessment- Round to Three Decimal Places
Scare up some new assessment data when your student's round decimals to the nearest tenth, hundredth, and thousandth with a Halloween-themed rounding decimals quiz.
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Race Car Rounding With Decimals Interactive Activity for 5th Grade
Rev up your math engines and take the rounding decimals race! Download this interactive Google Slides activity and challenge your students to become a decimal rounding champion!
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Rounding Decimals Number Search Worksheets for 5th Grade
Encourage your 5th-grade students to practice rounding decimals to the nearest whole number, tenth and hundredth with this set of number search worksheets.
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Rounding Decimals on a Number Line – 5th Grade Math Worksheets
Teach your 5th-grade students how to determine missing numbers on a number line and use it to round decimals to the nearest whole number, tenth and hundredth.
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Estimating Sums and Differences With Decimals Worksheet for 5th Grade
Teach your students how to estimate decimal sums and differences with this 5th-grade math worksheet.
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Reel It in Rounding With Decimals – Interactive Task Cards for 5th Grade
Guide your 5th-grade students to tackle questions where they must round decimals to the nearest whole number, tenth and hundredth with this set of 24 interactive task cards.
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Halloween Rounding Decimals Worksheets- Halloween Riddles
Have fun rounding decimals to the tenths and hundredths place with our riddle-based Halloween worksheets!
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Coffee Shop Calculations – Estimation With Decimals Task Cards
Download this set of 24 task cards to help your students practice estimating decimal sums and differences with benchmark numbers.
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Rounding Decimals – Differentiated 5th Grade Color by Code Worksheet
Guide your 5th-grade students to round decimals to the nearest tenth and hundredth with this differentiated color-by-code worksheet.
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Decimal Designs – Differentiated Decimal Rounding Worksheet for 5th Grade
Guide your students to round decimals to different places and create a beautiful design with this differentiated worksheet for 5th grade.
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Estimating Quotients Sorting Activity for 5th Grade
Guide your students to use rounding and compatible numbers when estimating quotients with this 24-card sorting activity.
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It's a Match! – Rounding With Decimals Puzzle
Practice rounding decimals up to the thousandths place with 34 puzzle pair matching pieces.
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Converting Fractions and Decimals – 6th Grade Interactive Activity
Use this set of interactive slides to practice converting, ordering and solving problems with fractions and decimals.
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Subtracting Decimals With Base-10 Blocks – Teaching Slides for 5th Grade
Teach your students how to use base-10 blocks to model decimal subtraction problems with this set of teaching slides.
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Comparing Decimals – Bump Game
Compare decimals through the thousandths place with a comparing decimals game designed for 5th-grade students.
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Comparing and Ordering Decimals – Kaboom Game
Practice comparing and ordering decimals to the thousandths place with an exciting game of Kaboom!
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Rounding Decimals Board Game
Practice rounding decimals to the nearest tenth and hundredth with this printable math game.