Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Fractions to Decimals: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Fractions to Decimals is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children write common fractions as decimals, working with halves, quarters, fifths and tenths. It takes about 10 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up the answers, help ideas and a stretch task.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children see a list of fractions, each followed by an equals sign and a space to write the matching decimal. The fractions are halves, quarters, fifths and tenths, the ones that turn up most often in everyday life. Children can picture the fraction, divide the top by the bottom, or use what they know about tenths and hundredths. The sheet is short, so it suits a first go or quick revision.
- 1/2 =
- 1/4 =
- 3/4 =
- 1/5 =
- 2/5 =
- 3/5 =
- 4/5 =
- 3/10 =
A worked example
Write 7/20 as a decimal.
This fraction is not on the sheet. It shows two ways to think about the same job.
Method 1: make hundredths- Look at the denominator, 20. Ask what 20 multiplies by to make 100. 20 × 5 = 100.
- Multiply the numerator by the same number: 7 × 5 = 35.
- So 7/20 = 35/100, which is 0.35.
- Find one twentieth first. 1/20 = 5/100, which is 0.05.
- Seven twentieths is 7 lots of 0.05.
- 7 × 0.05 = 0.35.
Ways to build understanding first
Fractions as division
Remind children that the line in a fraction means divide. Talk about sharing a whole into equal parts, then ask what each part looks like written as a decimal.
Tenths and hundredths
Show a 100 square. Ten columns are tenths and each small square is a hundredth. Let children shade different fractions and say what they see.
Equivalent fractions
Fractions with the same value can look different. Practise changing the denominator to 10 or 100 by multiplying top and bottom by the same number.
Why link fractions and decimals?
Fractions and decimals are two ways of writing the same amount. A decimal is simply a fraction whose denominator is 10, 100, 1000 and so on. The first place after the decimal point shows tenths. The second place shows hundredths. Seeing this link helps children stop treating decimals as a separate topic and start seeing one number system.
Children meet this link in daily life. Money is a good example, because pence are hundredths of a pound. Measuring in metres and centimetres works in the same way. When children know a few common fractions as decimals, they can compare amounts, estimate and check answers more easily, and later work with percentages.
Skills and curriculum link
- Fractions
- Decimals
- Equivalence
- Place value
- Division facts
- Explaining thinking
Ideas that help children
- Read the line as divideA fraction can be read as a division. The top number is divided by the bottom number. This works for every fraction, even ones children have not seen before.
- Think in tenths and hundredthsDecimals are built on ten. If a denominator can be changed to 10 or 100, the decimal is easy to read from the new fraction.
- Use equal partsA fraction needs equal parts. Drawing a bar or a 100 square and splitting it into equal parts shows what the fraction means.
- Learn the common onesSome fractions are worth knowing by heart. Knowing a few makes it quicker to work out others from them, for example by doubling or halving.
Key words
- FractionA number that shows part of a whole. It is written with a numerator over a denominator.
- DecimalA way of writing a number using a decimal point. Digits after the point are parts of one.
- Decimal pointThe dot in a decimal. It separates whole numbers from parts of a whole.
- NumeratorThe top number in a fraction. It shows how many parts we have.
- DenominatorThe bottom number in a fraction. It shows how many equal parts the whole is split into.
- EquivalentDifferent ways of writing the same amount.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first fraction aloud together. Ask your child what it means before they write anything.
- Remind them that a fraction can be read as a division. Let them choose how to work: a drawing, a 100 square, or dividing.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" The thinking matters as much as the answer.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use a 100 square. Shade the fraction the question asks for, count the shaded squares, then write that number as hundredths. Turn it into a decimal from there. Start with the fractions that feel easiest and come back to the rest later.
To stretch confident children
Ask them to work out 1/8 and 3/8 as decimals and explain how they got them. A useful clue is that one eighth is half of one quarter. Then try another fraction of their own choosing and test it.
Make it a game
Make fraction and decimal pairs on cards. Turn them face down and play pairs. Take turns to flip two cards. Keep any matching pair and say why they match. The player with the most pairs wins.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes the numerator and denominator either side of a point, such as 7/20 as 7.20.
Try thisRemind them that the line means divide. Ask whether the fraction is more or less than one whole, and whether the decimal is too.
Watch forA child thinks 0.5 and 0.05 are the same, because the digits match.
Try thisUse a place value chart. Ask which column each digit sits in, and shade both amounts on a 100 square to compare them.
Watch forA child says 1 cannot be divided by 4 because 1 is smaller.
Try thisShow that 1 can be split. Write 1 as 10 tenths, then share the tenths equally and see what is left.
Talk about it
- How do you know a fraction can be written as a decimal?
- Which fraction on the sheet did you find easiest, and why?
- What does the line in a fraction mean?
- How could a 100 square help you check an answer?
- Can two different fractions have the same decimal? What would that tell us?
- Where have you seen decimals and fractions outside school?
Take it off the page
Fraction and money
Use pretend coins and a pound to share amounts into equal parts. Write each share as a fraction of a pound and as a decimal.
Ruler measuring
Use a ruler marked in centimetres and millimetres. Find lengths and write them as fractions of a centimetre and as decimals.
Fold and shade
Fold paper strips into equal parts and shade some. Write the shaded part as a fraction, then as a decimal, and compare with a friend.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. About 10 minutes is plenty. If they get stuck, ask them to draw the fraction or shade a 100 square before they write a decimal.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary after teaching equivalence, an early finisher task or supply cover. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas, so it suits mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with money, measuring and cooking talk. The sheet is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in maths
Before this, children learn what fractions mean and how to find equivalent fractions. They also meet tenths and hundredths and learn how place value works with decimals. Having a secure idea of equal parts makes this sheet much easier.
After this, children use the same links to compare and order fractions and decimals, round decimals and begin working with percentages. In Key Stage 2 these ideas sit within the fractions strand of the National Curriculum for England, and build towards more confident problem solving.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Fractions to Decimals for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. It can also work as revision for older children, or as a stretch task for confident children in Year 4.
- What will children practise?
They practise writing common fractions as decimals. The sheet covers halves, quarters, fifths and tenths, and builds understanding of equivalence and place value along the way.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 10 minutes. Some children will be quicker and some will want to talk through each fraction. The notes on page 2 help you adjust the pace.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Use a 100 square to see each fraction as a number of hundredths. Work through the first fraction together, then let them try the next on their own. Page 2 has more help.
- Is it free to print?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and black and white printing works well.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives support and stretch ideas.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Working by hand helps children slow down, think and explain their answers.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.