How do you teach decimals to a fifth grader? With so many different teaching and learning styles, endless activities, and thousands of math programs and worksheets to choose from is there really one right way?
Making Math Meaningful
Connecting what students already know – in math or in life – to new concepts plays a huge part in the learning process.
When students see the connections between different mathematical ideas it helps them to understand and retain new information. But, connecting to the real-world and students’ lives is equally important. When students see real-world situations that are familiar to them and realize how these new math skills tie in, it creates a fun and meaningful learning environment.
Teaching decimals to a fifth-grader by letting them “shop” for items that interest them is a great start. After walking them through the basic steps for adding and subtracting decimals let them apply their skills with a fun shopping activity like this one! Bringing in a flyer from your local grocery store or using a book fair catalogue are also perfect for this. Let them “buy” items and calculate their total. You can also give them a set amount of money and after making their pretend purchases, they can subtract decimals to find out how much money they have leftover. We can use the same activity with multiplying and dividing decimals, too! Ask students to calculate the cost of an item based on the number of quantities (let’s say I want to buy 4 bags of chips and each bag is $1.99. 1.99 x 4 = 7.96. I will spend $7.96 on bags of chips). Want to work on division? Have students work in groups to make their pretend purchases. Then, they can split the total amount up to find out how much each person owes. There are many ways to teach this skill using real world examples and shopping is just one. What is your favorite way to teach decimals?
Make It Fun
What can be more fun than shopping?! I know. I know. But, as teachers, we know how important math games are for our students. They make learning fun and engaging. And, when wondering how to teach decimals to a fifth grader – games is at the top of my list for ways to practice this skill on the way to mastery. Not only do math games allow students to work collaboratively with their peers and gain confidence, but they give students the opportunity to practice math skills in a low-stress, non-threatening environment.
Decimal math games, including TIC-TAC-MATH and Math Mania are effective and engaging, which will help your students on their way to deeper understanding of math concepts.
Teach the Basics and Extend
Now, although the delivery will be slightly different – there’s no denying that the basics apply no matter how you decide to deliver them. First, students need to understand decimal place value. Using manipulatives and hands-on discovery will provide your students with the baseline understanding that they will need as they work to master operations with decimals. I love using base-ten blocks for this.
Then, students learn to add and subtract decimals, multiply decimals, and divide decimals. I love using simple step-by-step directions for this (check out these how-to student booklets) and then practice, practice, practice.