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Tips and Resources for Teaching Dividing Decimals

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Students are not always excited about dividing decimals in the classroom because it can be difficult. However, this post will help you teach dividing decimals with ease using engaging resources and tips to help your students!

You know what we can probably all agree on? Our students aren’t exactly fans of division. When you throw decimals into the mix, it’s a whole new level of “I don’t get this!” My students definitely weren’t excited when it came time to teach dividing decimals. It’s one of those math concepts that seems universally disliked! I’ll admit, I used to feel a bit intimidated when I started teaching dividing decimals. It’s not just about the process, you also have to get your students in the right mindset. Wouldn’t it be great if we could break it down into easy chunks? Instead, we usually face a chorus of confusion and negative self-talk. Over the years, I’ve gathered some great tips and resources to make teaching dividing decimals easier and more engaging. Today, I’m sharing them with you so you can use them with your own students!

Why Teaching Dividing Decimals Is Important

Let’s be honest. Teaching dividing decimals isn’t exactly the flashiest topic, but it’s a crucial skill for students to master. Why? Well, dividing decimals pops up in real-life situations more often than we think! From calculating money and budgeting to measurements in science and cooking, it’s a skill our students will use outside of the classroom. Whether they’re figuring out how to split a bill at a restaurant or dividing up ingredients for a recipe, those decimal division skills come in handy.

Dividing decimals is an important skill for students to learn because it has real world applications like budgeting and using money.

Another reason teaching dividing decimals is so important is because it strengthens our students’ overall understanding of numbers. It challenges them to think critically about place value. Place value is a key concept that lays the foundation for more complex math topics. Plus, once they grasp this concept, it builds their confidence to tackle more advanced math, like algebra and geometry. When they realize they can handle dividing decimals, suddenly, other math challenges don’t seem quite so intimidating.

I’ve found that when students understand the why behind dividing decimals, they start to care a little more about how it works. It’s like showing them that this math isn’t just a bunch of numbers on a page. It’s something that will help them in practical ways. When they make that connection, teaching dividing decimals and growing that positive mindset becomes a whole lot easier!

Tips for Teaching Dividing Decimals

When it comes to teaching dividing decimals, I’ve learned that the key is to keep it simple and relatable. Here are a few tips that have worked wonders in my classroom!

1. Start With Whole Numbers First

This image shows a teacher helping a student.

Before jumping into dividing decimals, I like to review dividing whole numbers. This helps my students feel more comfortable with the process. Once they’re confident with whole number division, adding decimals into the mix doesn’t seem so overwhelming. I’ll even have them work through some basic long division problems to warm up their brains before tackling decimals!

2. Use Money as an Example

One of my go-to tricks for teaching dividing decimals is using money as a real-world example. Our kiddos understand money. When they can relate decimals to dollars and cents, it clicks for them! I like to create word problems that involve dividing a certain amount of money between a group of people. It’s a great way to make the concept more concrete and understandable.

3. Teach Them to Move the Decimal

In this image, a student is moving the decimal points in order to make dividing decimals easier.

Here’s the part where dividing decimals often throws students off—where to place that pesky decimal point! So, I break it down into simple steps. I always teach my students to move the decimal in both the dividend and divisor to make it a whole number division problem. Once they see it this way, the confusion disappears. This method makes it much more manageable, and they love that they can “ignore” the decimal (at least for a little bit).

4. Practice, Practice, Practice!

There’s no magic formula for mastery. It all comes down to practice. I encourage you to provide lots of opportunities for students to practice dividing decimals through a variety of engaging activities. Whether it’s using task cards, math centers, or quick warm-ups, make sure to sprinkle in plenty of chances for them to build their skills. Even consider throwing in some friendly competition to keep them motivated! And. . . to help you find a variety of activities, I’m sharing my favorites later in this post.

5. Use Visuals and Models

This photo highlights a number line resource.

I’ve found that using visuals like number lines or area models really helps students grasp dividing decimals. When they can see how decimals break down, it helps them connect the dots. I’ve had success with digital tools or even just drawing it out on the board. The more ways I can represent the concept, the more it sticks with them.

6. Celebrate Small Wins

Lastly, make sure to make it a point to celebrate small victories along the way. Dividing decimals can be tricky, so when students start to get it, they need to know how proud you are of their progress! A little encouragement goes a long way and keeps them motivated to keep pushing through the tough spots.

Resources For Teaching Dividing Decimals

Now that we’ve reviewed some tips for teaching dividing decimals, let’s explore a few resources that can make the whole process even smoother. I’ve gathered some of my favorite tools and activities that help students grasp the concept and keep them engaged and excited to learn. These resources are designed to take the stress out of dividing decimals and make it a skill your students can master with confidence!

Dividing Decimals Guided Notes

This photo showcases a math wheel that is perfect for 5th grade.

My Dividing Decimals Wheel is one of my favorite tools for helping students really grasp dividing decimals. It’s interactive, easy to follow, and breaks everything down step by step. This makes it much less intimidating for your students. You can use it to either introduce the concept or review it if they’ve already learned the basics. It’s also a great way to keep everything organized in their minds!

One of the first things to do with the wheel is to have your students predict whether the quotient will be more or less than the dividend. This step gets them thinking about the relationship between the numbers before we dive into the actual dividing. It’s such a simple way to engage them right from the start and help them develop a deeper understanding of what’s happening with the numbers.

From there, use the wheel to set up the division problems step by step. It walks your students through placing the numbers inside and outside the division symbol, moving the decimal point, and finally dividing. Taking the time to break it down like this takes away a lot of the stress for your students, who usually feel overwhelmed by the process.

This image shows the 6th grade version of the dividing decimals math wheel.

Once you’ve gone through the steps, your students can use the wheel to practice solving problems. The wheel has a set of problems built right into it. The problems do increase in difficulty as they gain confidence. The repetitive nature helps solidify their understanding, and since some problems go into the thousandths place, it pushes them to take on more complex challenges.

Looking for a Dividing Decimals resource for 6th grade? Make sure to check out my Dividing Decimals Wheel for 6th graders!

Math Number System Unit

The Whole Number & Decimal Unit is packed with useful strategies for teaching dividing decimals in a way that really clicks with students. This resource gives you everything you need to teach dividing decimals in a clear and relatable way. It’s full of great examples and tips that make the process much easier for your students to understand! Here’s how you can use it in the classroom:

This number systems resource is a great tool to use when teaching about dividing decimals.

First, kick things off by reviewing decimals with your students. You want to make sure they’re solid on how decimals are built through place value. This resource does a great job of breaking it down into expanded and standard forms. This is perfect for getting your students warmed up before jumping into division. It’s always helpful to get them comfortable with how decimals work before tackling the bigger challenge of dividing them.

Once they’ve got that foundation, you can move into the dividing decimals section. There’s an excellent ‘investigation’ that helps students discover how to estimate – how to decide if the quotient should be great or less than the dividend.

This resource also walks your students through the process of moving the decimal point. It’s one of those steps that can really trip them up, but this resource lays it out in such a simple way. Your students get to see exactly how to adjust the divisor and dividend decimals, which takes away a lot of the guesswork and confusion.

Then, you can dive into the practice problems! The resource includes some great real-world word problems, like figuring out the cost per pound of apples. These types of problems are fantastic for helping your students understand why dividing decimals matters. They get to see how it applies to everyday situations. Plus, it keeps things engaging!

Color By Number Dividing Decimals Activities

This photo highlights a color by code activity that targets dividing decimals.

This Dividing Decimal Color By Number is ideal if you’re looking for a bit more challenge. With 15-20 problems on the page, your students will get plenty of practice with dividing decimals. The great thing about this resource is that it combines math practice with coloring, which adds a fun, creative element. After your students solve each division problem, they find the corresponding answer on the coloring sheet and color it with the given color.

To use this in class, you can first walk your students through one or two problems. This makes sure they understand how to move the decimal and set up the division. Then, you can let them work through the rest of the problems on their own. The coloring part is a great way to keep them motivated and excited to complete the assignment. It’s a nice reward after they solve each problem!

Another version of Dividing Decimals Color by Number has fewer problems per page. This helps make it perfect for your students who need a little more time or practice to master dividing decimals. With ten problems on each page, it’s less overwhelming. The half-page of coloring is just enough to make the activity engaging without being too time-consuming. Like the first version, your students solve the problems and then color based on their answers.

Dividing Decimals Task Cards

This Footloose style game will help students practice dividing and multiplying decimals.

My Multiplying and Dividing Decimals Task Cards are a fantastic way to engage your students in practicing both operations. These cards are ideal for turning what could be a standard worksheet into an exciting, game-like activity where your students move around the room. They solve problems and interact with one another. Each card presents a problem involving multiplication or division of decimals. There is a great mix of straightforward calculations and real-world word problems. This approach reinforces their math skills and shows them how decimals apply in everyday life.

When using these cards to practice dividing decimals, start by explaining how the task card activity works. The game is called Footloose. Your students get to move around the classroom, solving the problems on each card and recording their answers on a grid. It’s such a great way to get your students thinking, calculating, and moving at the same time. Since there’s a variety of cards, you can choose to focus on dividing decimals specifically, pulling out those cards first. Your students will solve problems like “72.5 ÷ 0.025,” which really gets them thinking about how to manage decimal placement during division. Some of the cards also have word problems, which shows the real-world application of decimals.

This photo shows a student excited after successfully completing school work.

You can keep the activity engaging by encouraging a little friendly competition. Maybe you can offer a small prize to the student who completes the most problems correctly. The excitement of moving around, solving problems, and comparing answers keeps everyone on their toes and excited to participate. After the activity, you can bring the class together for a quick review. This is when you can go over a few key problems. Talk through any tricky areas, and ensure everyone feels confident in their ability to divide decimals.

Additional Resources for Decimals

These are just a handful of resources when it comes to decimals. Make sure to continue exploring decimals by checking out the below links!

Engage Your Students While Teaching Dividing Decimals

Teaching dividing decimals doesn’t have to be overwhelming for you or your students. You can turn a tricky concept into something fun and manageable with the right tips, engaging activities, and resources like task cards or color by number worksheets. The key is to keep it interactive, relatable, and encouraging for your students. This gives them plenty of opportunities to practice while boosting their confidence. I hope these ideas and resources help you feel ready to dive into dividing decimals with excitement and ease!

Save for Later

Remember to save this post to your favorite math Pinterest board for quick access to these resources for dividing decimals!

Ellie

Welcome to Cognitive Cardio Math! I’m Ellie, a wife, mom, grandma, and dog ‘mom,’ and I’ve spent just about my whole life in school! With nearly 30 years in education, I’ve taught:

  • All subject areas in 4th and 5th grades
  • Math, ELA, and science in 6th grade (middle school)

I’ve been creating resources for teachers since 2012 and have worked in the elearning industry for about five years as well!

If you’re looking for ideas and resources to help you teach math (and a little ELA), I can help you out!

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