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Study Guide5th GradeLevel 2 · Standard

Free 5th Grade Decimals Explained

Explains tenths, hundredths and thousandths, how decimals connect to fractions, and how to compare, add, subtract and round decimals. Written for parents and students, with worked examples that show the method step by step.

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Grade
5th Grade
Subject
Math
Topic
Decimals
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
20 minutes
Curriculum
Texas grade levels (TEKS)
Answers
Not applicable
Format
PDF (A4) + print

Students will practice

  • understanding decimal place value (tenths, hundredths, thousandths)
  • converting between common fractions and decimals
  • comparing and ordering decimals
  • adding, subtracting and rounding decimals

Curriculum: Texas grade levels (TEKS). We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Decimals Explained

  1. 15th Grade Decimal Place Value Worksheet — Level 1
  2. 25th Grade Decimal Place Value Worksheet — Level 2
  3. 35th Grade Decimal Place Value Worksheet — Level 3
  4. 45th Grade Adding and Subtracting Decimals Worksheet — Level 1

How to use this study guide

  1. Read it together first, pausing at each worked example to try the step before reading the answer.
  2. Attempt the "Check yourself" questions at the end without looking back.
  3. Then practice with a worksheet from the pathway above and finish with the topic test.

Common questions

Who is this study guide for?

5th Grade students (typically ages 10–11) working on decimals. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

This is a study guide, so there is no separate answer sheet; the 'Check yourself' questions include answers.

How long does it take?

About 20 minutes. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try 5th Grade Decimal Place Value Worksheet — Level 1, then check understanding with the 5th Grade Decimals Topic Test.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheets5th Grade · Mathematics · Decimals

Decimals Explained

What you need to know

A decimal is another way of writing a fraction whose denominator is 10, 100 or 1000. The decimal point separates the whole-number part from the part that is smaller than one. Each place to the right of the point is ten times smaller than the one before it: tenths, then hundredths, then thousandths.

Ones·TenthsHundredthsThousandths
3·472

Reading 3.472

  1. 3 is in the ones place: 3 wholes.
  2. 4 is in the tenths place: .
  3. 7 is in the hundredths place: .
  4. 2 is in the thousandths place: .
  5. 3.472 = 3 + + + , and we say "three point four seven two".
FractionDecimal
0.1
0.01
0.5
0.25
0.75
0.2

Comparing decimals. Line up the decimal points and compare one place at a time from the left. It helps to add zeros on the end so both numbers have the same number of decimal places — adding zeros after the last digit does not change the value.

Which is larger: 0.5 or 0.45?

  1. Write 0.5 as 0.50 so both have two decimal places.
  2. Compare tenths: 5 and 4. Five tenths is more than four tenths.
  3. So 0.5 is larger.
Common mistake: thinking 0.45 is bigger than 0.5 because 45 is bigger than 5. A decimal is not a whole number — 0.45 is 45 hundredths, and 0.5 is 50 hundredths.

Adding and subtracting. Write the numbers underneath each other with the decimal points lined up, fill any gaps with zeros, then add or subtract exactly as you would with whole numbers. The decimal point in the answer goes directly under the others.

2.35 + 1.4, then 5.2 − 1.75

  1. Addition: line up the points, 2.35 + 1.40.
  2. Hundredths: 5 + 0 = 5. Tenths: 3 + 4 = 7. Ones: 2 + 1 = 3. So 2.35 + 1.4 = 3.75.
  3. Subtraction: line up the points, 5.20 − 1.75.
  4. Hundredths: 0 − 5 cannot be done, so borrow from the tenths: 10 − 5 = 5 (tenths are now 1).
  5. Tenths: 1 − 7 cannot be done, so borrow from the ones: 11 − 7 = 4 (ones are now 4).
  6. Ones: 4 − 1 = 3.
  7. 5.2 − 1.75 = 3.45. Check: 3.45 + 1.75 = 5.20.

Rounding and multiplying by 10 or 100. To round to one decimal place, look at the hundredths digit: 5 or more rounds the tenths up. 3.472 rounds to 3.5 (one decimal place) and to 3.47 (two decimal places). Multiplying by 10 moves every digit one place to the left: 3.47 × 10 = 34.7 and 3.47 × 100 = 347. Dividing by 10 moves the digits one place to the right: 34.7 ÷ 10 = 3.47.

Check yourself

  1. What is the value of the 6 in 2.863?
  2. Write as a decimal.
  3. Which is larger: 0.7 or 0.69?
  4. 4.6 + 2.35 = ?
  5. 7.5 − 2.8 = ?
  6. Round 8.249 to one decimal place.

Answers: 1. 6 hundredths (0.06) 2. 0.75 3. 0.7 4. 6.95 5. 4.7 6. 8.2

Free worksheets at worksheets.successtutoring.com · © Success Tutoring · Free for personal and classroom use

Preview — the PDF contains the full resource.

  • Worksheet

    5th Grade Decimal Place Value Worksheet — Level 1

    Tenths, hundredths and thousandths: reading, comparing and ordering decimals. Builds confidence with the core skill before adding…

    Difficulty
    Level 1 · Easier
    Time
    10 min
    Questions
    12 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    5th Grade Decimal Place Value Worksheet — Level 2

    Tenths, hundredths and thousandths: reading, comparing and ordering decimals. Expected-level practice for this grade. This 5th Grade…

    Difficulty
    Level 2 · Standard
    Time
    10 min
    Questions
    12 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    5th Grade Decimal Place Value Worksheet — Level 3

    Tenths, hundredths and thousandths: reading, comparing and ordering decimals. A challenge set for students ready to stretch further. This…

    Difficulty
    Level 3 · Challenge
    Time
    10 min
    Questions
    12 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    5th Grade Adding and Subtracting Decimals Worksheet — Level 1

    Column addition and subtraction with decimals, including money and measurement contexts. Builds confidence with the core skill before…

    Difficulty
    Level 1 · Easier
    Time
    15 min
    Questions
    12 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    5th Grade Adding and Subtracting Decimals Worksheet — Level 2

    Column addition and subtraction with decimals, including money and measurement contexts. Expected-level practice for this grade. This 5th…

    Difficulty
    Level 2 · Standard
    Time
    15 min
    Questions
    12 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    5th Grade Adding and Subtracting Decimals Worksheet — Level 3

    Column addition and subtraction with decimals, including money and measurement contexts. A challenge set for students ready to stretch…

    Difficulty
    Level 3 · Challenge
    Time
    15 min
    Questions
    12 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    5th Grade Multiplying and Dividing Decimals Worksheet — Level 1

    Multiply and divide decimals by 10, 100, 1000 and by whole numbers. Builds confidence with the core skill before adding complexity. This…

    Difficulty
    Level 1 · Easier
    Time
    15 min
    Questions
    14 questions
    Answers
    Answers included
  • Worksheet

    5th Grade Multiplying and Dividing Decimals Worksheet — Level 2

    Multiply and divide decimals by 10, 100, 1000 and by whole numbers. Expected-level practice for this grade. This 5th Grade worksheet has…

    Difficulty
    Level 2 · Standard
    Time
    15 min
    Questions
    14 questions
    Answers
    Answers included

Decimals in other year levels

About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.