Place Value: tenths and hundredths

Teaching understanding of place value is still important in Year 5, looking at very large numbers and very small numbers. Children will be expected to understand one tenth and one hundredth and how both 10 tenths and 100 hundredths can be regrouped into 1 one. This connects to understanding fractions and that one tenth (0.1) can be written as 1/10 and one hundredth (0.01) as 1/100.

Part of this understanding of decimals is to work with numbers with two significant digits (e.g. 0.76). For any decimal of this type children should be able to connect the decimal notation (0.76) with the spoken words (zero point seven six or nought point seven six). It is not uncommon to hear this number being said as zero point seventy-six, which is incorrect. They should also recognise the number of tenths and hundredths (seven tenths and 6 hundredths). It is very easy to assume that children have this knowledge but much work needs to be done to ensure this happens and we have a great range of worksheets covering all aspects of place value.