Decimal Numbers and their Names Card Sort Activity

Decimal Numbers and their Names – to Thousandths

Learning to say a number’s proper name is an important step in understanding place value. When a student sees .1, it can be read it as “point 1” but does the student know what that means - that is represents “one tenth?”

This material can be used as a card sort or memory game where the decimal number is matched to the corresponding place value name (e.g. “five tenths” and “.5” are a match). The purpose is to practice saying the decimal number’s name and be able to associate the words with the number.

Encourage the student to read the number as if it were a whole number and then say the decimal place value of the last (right-most) number. For example, .25 would be read as “twenty five hundredths.” When adding whole numbers, remind students that the decimal point is read as “and.” For example, 2.13 would be read as “two and thirteen hundredths.”

Material includes:

• Decimal place value strips with numeric values and place value names (to be used as a reference for the card sort or memory game)

• Three sets of differentiated number/name cards – each set is increasingly more challenging by adding another place value or whole numbers

o Set 1: 15 numbers and corresponding name cards in tenths and hundredths places

o Set 2: 15 numbers and corresponding name cards in hundredths and thousandths places

o Set 3: 15 numbers and corresponding name cards with whole numbers and tenths, hundredths, and thousandths places

o Two versions of each of the three sets is provided black and white colored – each set has a different color border

• Recording sheet

• Blank cards (a few extra cards for students to create their own numbers and write the names, or challenge a friend to do so)

• Answer key

Instructions

The cards can be used for one of the activities below, or however you or your students imagine! It is recommended that the cards be printed** on cardstock and then laminated before use.

**Note: These cards are intended to be printed in landscape mode. Please make sure to set your printer settings accordingly.

Card Sort (for review or assessment)

1. Set out each column header card (Decimal Name, Decimal Number).

2. Sort the remaining cards under the appropriate column label, with the number next to the matching name.

3. Check the work using the included answer key (last page of the document).

4. Record the information in a math journal, or the included recording sheet, if desired.