Decimals Teaching Resources
Browse decimal worksheets, games and more Australian curriculum V9 resources created by primary teachers for your primary classroom!
Explore editable resources you can easily differentiate for individual learners plus maths rotations activities and engaging games to help students learn how to read and write decimals using place value and the decimal point, how to convert a decimal to a fraction and more.
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 — a 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 your students to simplify numbers, making them easier to work with!
This will be useful 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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Diving Into Decimals Interactive Game
Use this interactive activity to take a deep dive into decimals while improving skills with decimal operations and place value concepts.
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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 maths rotations.
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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.
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Converting Fractions and Decimals Match-Up Activity
Have students practise how to convert a fraction to a decimal with this match-up activity perfect for maths rotations.
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Decimal Place Value – Digital and Printable Worksheet
Get students analysing decimal place value positions with this “This or That?” worksheet.
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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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Dividing with Decimals – Differentiated Worksheets
Download this set of differentiated dividing decimals worksheet to help your students practice this key maths skill.
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Coffee Shop Calculations – Estimation With Decimals Task Cards
Download this set of 24 task cards to help your students practise estimating decimal sums and differences with benchmark numbers.
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Decimals on Number Lines Task Cards for Year 5
Sharpen your year 5 students’ abilities to identify decimals on a number line with a set of task cards.
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Decimals on Number Lines Interactive Mystery Picture
Sharpen numeracy skills by identifying decimals on a number line with an interactive mystery picture reveal.
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Percent Matching Game for Year 6 Maths
Match fractions, decimals and percentages with this printable matching game for year 6.
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Addition and Subtraction with Decimals – Task Cards
Practise adding and subtracting multi-digit decimals with this set of 16 task cards.
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Place Value Banner - Billions to Thousandths
A banner that displays extended place value.
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Dividing Decimals Maths Mazes
Review how to divide a decimal by a decimal and a whole number with this set of maths mazes.
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Dividing Decimals by Whole Numbers Teaching Slides
Teach your students how to divide decimals by whole numbers using visual models and the standard algorithm using this step-by-step teaching presentation.
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Patterns in Place Value Teaching Slides
Strengthen student understanding of decimal place value and the relationship between place value positions with this instructional slide deck.
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Multiplying Decimals – Riddle Worksheets
Get students solving decimal multiplication problems with this set of 3 differentiated riddle worksheets.
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Race Car Rounding With Decimals Interactive Activity
Rev up your maths engines and take the rounding decimals race! Download this interactive activity and challenge your students to become a decimal rounding champion!
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Comparing Decimals — Year 5 Bump Game
Compare decimals through the thousandths place with a comparing decimals game designed for year 5 students.
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Writing About Fractions- Task Cards
Review fraction concepts and practice mathematical constructed response writing with a set of writing about fractions task cards.
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Rounding Decimals Mystery Picture Worksheet
Round decimals to the nearest whole, tenth, hundredth and thousandth while revealing a mystery image with a fun colour-by-number worksheet.
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Rounding Decimals Bump! Game
Review how to round decimals with this set of printable year 5 maths games.
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Estimating Decimal Sums and Differences — Year 6 Worksheet
Refine year 6 students' rounding skills with an estimating decimal sums and differences worksheet.
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Adding and Subtracting Decimals Year 6 Worksheet
Practise adding and subtracting decimals to the hundredths place with this worksheet.
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Place Value Chart - Hundredths Place
A blank place value chart to use when exploring decimal numbers.
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Number Talks – Decimal Operations Task Cards
Explore decimal operations with your students using this set of 26 number talk task cards.
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Representing Decimals – Interactive Picture Reveal
Use this decimal game for Year 4 to teach your students all the ways that decimals can be visually represented.
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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 Teaching Slides
Teach your students how to multiply decimals by decimals using three different strategies using this step-by-step teaching presentation for Year 7 students.
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Decimal Operations Maths Mats
Get students reviewing decimal operations with these engaging, puzzle-based math mats.
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Estimating Sums and Differences With Decimals Worksheet for Year 6
Teach your students how to estimate decimal sums and differences with this year 6 maths worksheet.
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Reel It in Rounding With Decimals – Interactive Task Cards
Guide your 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.