Before moving on to the formal method of adding and subtracting decimals it is a good idea to use aids such as a hundred square or a place value chart to make sure that children understand the place value of decimals. If this understanding is not secure it can lead to errors such as 0.52 + 0.4 = 0.56, rather than 0.52 + 0.4 = 0.92.

Our latest resources use both hundred squares and place value charts to help with this. They can be found in the Fractions, Decimals and Percentages category in Year 5, but we also have many great resources for adding and subtracting decimals in our Addition and Subtraction categories.