Grade 4 Math: Introduction to Decimals

Fractions in Decimal Form

A decimal is defined in this lesson as another way to write fractions. In other words, a decimal is actually a “decimal fraction”, although in common terminology, we just refer to them as “decimals.”

When we write a fraction as a decimal, referred to as the “decimal format” for writing fractions, we do this to emphasize the fact that fractions and decimals are not different kinds of numbers. They’re the same numbers written in a different format.

Decimals are fractions that have a denominator that is equal to 10 or a multiple of 10, like 100 or 1000. These multiples of 10 are defined as “powers of 10.” The power of 10 tells how many times 10 is a factor in the product.

In this lesson, all the decimals have a denominator of 10, 100, or 1000.

In the problems in the lesson, students are given fractions and mixed numbers and must rewrite them in decimal format.

Decimals as Fractions

In this lesson, students learn to read numbers in decimal format and rewrite them in fraction format.

Only decimals less than 1 are covered.

Decimals from Text

In this lesson, students learn how place value is used to write decimal numbers, and the names for the place values from tenths through thousandths.

When given a decimal number in words, students write the decimal in numbers.

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