Decimal Fractions
updated December 23, 2022

Recorded here is my own personal collection of articles, resources, favorite links, teaching ideas, and lesson plans. It encompasses many years, from the very beginning of my experience studying and learning about Waldorf to the present time. People from all around the world visit my site and recommend it to others. Welcome!

This site records my journey. I hope my honesty is encouraging and helps break down some barriers that may prevent people from trying Waldorf methods. Because this is an ongoing site documenting my curriculum planning and ideas, some materials are more Waldorf-y than others. Please feel free to take what you like and leave the rest.

This page has helpful links and LOADS of free resources to help you plan your fifth grade year. Enjoy!

Rationale:
The upcoming 6th grade emphasis on Business Math makes Decimals a major math goal for this year, building on the foundation of introductory Fractions work in 4th and advanced Fractions work done earlier in 5th grade. I use the Montessori Math materials extensively for Place Value in 2nd and 3rd grade, and have found them to be tremendously useful.

I am currently working my way through the Montessori materials for teaching Decimals, to see what would be most worthwhile in a Waldorf classroom setting.

Building a Number on the Decimal Fraction Board
note: the wooden cubes and number cards shown are in the Decimal Fraction Exercise

My Montessori Decimal material inventory:

Nienhuis Montessori

• Decimal Fraction Board
• Decimal Fraction Exercise
• Decimal Fraction Exercise Activity Set 1
• Checker Board Beads
• Box with Gray and White Number Tiles
• Decimal Stamp Game

Great Extensions

• Quilted Decimal Checker Board Mat

ETC Montessori

• The ETC Place Value Game
  for introducing the Decimal Checker Board, as shown in the video below

Right now (June 2021), I am using these materials as follows

for introducing decimals and their place value:

Decimal Fraction Board

Decimal Fraction Exercise

plus the whole and tenths fraction pieces from the Cut-Out Labeled Fraction Circles

for static and dynamic addition and subtraction:

Decimal Fraction Board

Decimal Fraction Exercise

Decimal Fraction Exercise Activity Set 1

for static and dynamic multiplication:

ETC Place Value Game

Quilted Decimal Checker Board Mat

Checker Board Beads

Box with Gray and White Number Tiles

plus a little box with some decimal dots punched out of black cardstock with a hole punch

for static and dynamic division:

Decimal Stamp Game

plus the little skittles from the Stamp Game

Other Helpful Links

Rounding Decimals: Whole Number, Tenths, Hundredths (Riddle)
FREE on TpT

Rounding Decimals Coloring Activity
FREE on TpT

Adding and Subtracting Decimals Word Problem Task Cards
$3.00 on TpT

Multiplying Decimals Review Activity
FREE on TpT
we are using this with the Decimal Checker Board


Decimal Destinations
by Mindware
tons of fun puzzles to solve!

Decimal Destinations #7 (PDF free sample)

Decimal Checker Board Videos
these are the remaining videos in the lovely Decimal Checker Board Series that Dancing Pines Montessori created

My blog posts from teaching this topic:

Notes from gr.5 Decimal Fractions Block
January 2022