Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Comparing Decimals can be a challenge. Imagine the number 3.14 and the number 3.3. A common misconception among fourth graders who are learning about decimals for the first time is that three tenths is smaller than thirteen hundredths. They sometimes think this because the whole number thirteen is larger than three. Don't worry though, with enough exposure, correction, and practice a true understanding of place value will develop. It helps to think of everyday examples to solidify this. For example, first adding a zero into the hundredths place of 3.3 so that it is 3.30 and then thinking of the numbers as money amounts. $3.14 vs $3.30. It's amazing what a difference a dollar sign and a zero can make. Here are some pictures of a game that our scholars played where they created and compared decimals. Our goal was to practice the skill and make it a little interesting.
