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Grids with 10 and 100 squares are great ways to show what a decimal is and how to compare it with other numbers. Create your own by drawing a rectangle and dividing into 10 strips, and by drawing a square divided into 100 boxes. You can also download and print ready-made grids. Explain that the entire rectangle or square stands for 1. Color in 6 of a rectangle's 10 strips, and say, "We've colored 6 out of 10 strips. That's 0.6 or 6/10 (six-tenths) of the total strips." Color in 25 of a square's 100 boxes. Say, "We've colored 25 out of 100 boxes. That's 0.25 or 25/100 (twenty-five hundredths) of the total boxes." Find out which decimals are bigger by coloring grids. Color 35 out of 100 boxes, then color 25 of 100 boxes in a second grid. Explain how 35/100 is greater than 25/100, so 0.35 is greater than 0.25. Number lines are another useful way to show how decimals are in between whole numbers. Make a horizontal line with vertical dashes at either end. Write 5 above the dash on the left and 6 above the dash on the right. Make another dash in the center and label it 5.5. Explain that this number is right in the middle between 5 and 6. Ask them where to place dashes for 5.75 and 5.25, then fill in other decimal values along the number line. Money is a fantastic, tangible way to teach decimals. Explain how coins represent .01, .05, .10, and .25 of your national currency. Pile up different combinations of coins and use them to demonstrate how to add and subtract decimals.
Fill in grids to visualize decimal values. Draw number lines to compare values. Use money to explain decimals.