Decimals - what's the point?

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Decimals - what a difference a point makes!

Decimals are introduced to Irish school children from 3rd class of primary school. So what is a decimal? It's a way of writing a fraction when the bottom number (the denominator) of the fraction is to the power of 10 (for instance 10, 100, 1000 and so on). Have a look at this link from Maths is Fun and this page that shows how decimals, fractions and percentages can be used to express the same value.

This video from Komodo Maths is a good introduction to decimals (and includes world champion athlete Usain Bolt).

For a bit of useful practice with decimals click on this link from IXL.

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Why am I doing this?

Maths makes sense to children when they use it in everyday life - like measuring things, working out distances, estimating food for dinner or money for groceries. The more opportunities you give your child to use the maths they learn at school through everyday activities the more they will understand and enjoy working with numbers.
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How can I do more?

Discuss maths that you see around you. For example, talk about sales in shops – half price, 25% off, what is good value? Or how much will the item cost after the discount?