Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Long Jump Scoreboard: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 6
- ForYear 6
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Long Jump Scoreboard is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11). Children complete a scoreboard showing two jumps for each jumper, work out the totals, then use them to answer questions. They add and subtract decimals with up to two places and convert metres to centimetres. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.
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 start with a scoreboard table. It has columns for the jumper, Jump 1, Jump 2 and the Total, all in metres. They fill in the totals first. Then they use those totals to answer the numbered questions, which ask them to compare totals, find differences and convert a total into centimetres. There is space to show working, so the thinking is visible as well as the answer.
- Jumper
- Jump 1 (m)
- Jump 2 (m)
- Total (m)
- Who has the longest total distance?
- How much further is Cara's total than Asha's total?
- What is the difference between Dev's total and Ben's total?
- How much longer is Eli's better jump than his other jump?
- Write Asha's total in centimetres.
A worked example
A jumper jumps 4.08 m and then 3.7 m. What is the total distance?
This is an extra example with its own numbers. It shows two ways children can work.
Method 1: column method- Write 3.7 as 3.70 so both numbers have two decimal places.
- Write 4.08 above 3.70 and line up the decimal points.
- Add the hundredths: 8 + 0 = 8. Add the tenths: 0 + 7 = 7. Put the decimal point in the answer. Add the ones: 4 + 3 = 7.
- Add the whole metres: 4 + 3 = 7.
- Add the decimal parts: 0.08 + 0.70 = 0.78.
- Put the two parts together: 7 + 0.78 = 7.78.
Ways to build confidence with decimals
Say decimals using place value
Read 3.7 as "three and seven tenths", not just "three point seven". Hearing the place value helps children see what each digit is worth.
Estimate first
Round each jump to the nearest whole metre and add those. The exact answer should be close. This catches slips with the decimal point.
Use a place value grid
Draw columns for ones, tenths and hundredths. Write each jump in the grid so the digits line up before adding or subtracting.
Check subtraction by adding
After finding a difference, add it back to the smaller number. If you reach the larger number, the answer is right.
Why use long jump for decimals?
Long jump is an athletics event. A jumper runs along a track, takes off from a board or line and lands in a sand pit. The distance is measured from the take off line to the nearest mark the jumper leaves in the sand. Scores are written in metres, usually with two decimal places, which makes them a natural way to practise decimals.
A scoreboard with two jumps for each jumper gives children a reason to add and compare decimals. Two decimal places means hundredths of a metre, and one hundredth of a metre is one centimetre. That link helps children see why a metre is 100 centimetres, and why changing between the two means multiplying or dividing by 100.
Long jump facts for children
- Long jumpers run up before they jump, because speed helps them go further.
- In long jump, the jumper lands in a sand pit.
- The distance is measured from the take off line to the nearest mark in the sand.
- Long jump is one of the events in the decathlon and the heptathlon.
- In a competition, jumpers usually get several attempts.
Skills and curriculum link
- Adding decimals
- Subtracting decimals
- Converting metres to centimetres
- Lining up decimal points
- Reading a table
- Showing working
Facts that help
- Line up the decimal pointsWhen adding or subtracting, write the numbers so the decimal points sit directly above each other. Then ones line up with ones, and tenths with tenths.
- Use a zero as a placeholderA number like 5.2 can be written as 5.20. The value does not change, and both numbers then have two decimal places.
- Metres and centimetresThere are 100 centimetres in 1 metre. To change metres to centimetres, multiply by 100.
- Difference means compareTo find how much further or longer one amount is than another, subtract the smaller from the larger.
Key words
- Decimal pointThe dot that separates whole numbers from parts of a whole.
- TenthOne of ten equal parts. It is the first digit after the decimal point.
- HundredthOne of one hundred equal parts. It is the second digit after the decimal point.
- TotalThe answer when you add amounts together.
- DifferenceHow much bigger or smaller one number is than another. You find it by subtracting.
- CentimetreA small unit of length. There are 100 in one metre.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Look at the scoreboard together. Ask what each column shows and what unit the scores are in.
- Let your child fill in the totals first. Encourage the column method with the decimal points lined up.
- Move on to the questions. Ask your child to show their working, then talk through each choice.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" Come back another day to repeat any parts that felt tricky.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Provide place value grids. Let children write 5.2 as 5.20 before subtracting, so both numbers have two decimal places. Say each digit's place aloud, such as ones, tenths and hundredths, and work on the totals first before moving to the questions.
To stretch confident children
Ask children to invent two jumps for a new jumper whose total beats the school record, then check by adding. They can then write a question of their own about the new jumper for a friend to answer.
Make it a game
Hold a mini jump contest with a tape measure. Each player records two jumps, then works out their total. Compare totals and find the differences between players. Mark a clear start line and measure from it.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child adds 6.4 and 2.35 by lining up the digits on the right, so tenths meet hundredths.
Try thisLine up the decimal points instead. Write 6.4 as 6.40 so both numbers have two decimal places, then add column by column.
Watch forIn 7.20 subtract 4.65, a child takes the smaller digit from the larger in every column, so the answer is wrong.
Try thisUse a place value grid. Where the top digit is too small, exchange from the next column to the left, then check by adding back.
Watch forA child writes 3.6 m as 36 cm.
Try thisRemember there are 100 centimetres in a metre, so multiply by 100. Move each digit two places to the left in the grid.
Talk about it
- Why do we line up the decimal points before adding?
- What does the 7 mean in 3.7? What would it mean in 3.07?
- How could you estimate the total before working it out exactly?
- Which jump would you say was better, and how do you know?
- How can you check a subtraction using addition?
- Why do we multiply by 100 to change metres to centimetres?
Take it off the page
Playground jumps
Mark a start line with chalk or a rope. Jump twice each, measure with a tape measure and write both scores as decimals in metres. Then add them.
Decimal number cards
Write digits on small cards and make decimals with two places. Order them from shortest to longest, then add or subtract two of them.
Measure the house
Measure the length of three objects at home in centimetres. Write each as a decimal in metres, then add them to find a total.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Ask them to talk through each step. If they get stuck, try a place value grid. Praise careful working, not only correct answers.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, plus the answers for quick marking.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with outdoor play, a tape measure and real jump contests. It can be printed again for brothers and sisters, or used for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in maths
Earlier in Key Stage 2, children meet tenths and hundredths and learn how place value works after the decimal point. They also learn to add and subtract whole numbers using the column method. This sheet brings those ideas together using decimals.
Next, children apply the same skills to other measures such as money, length and mass. They also practise converting between units, and later use decimals in more complex problems at secondary school. Confident work with place value now makes that move smoother.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Long Jump Scoreboard for?
It is written for Year 6 (ages 10 to 11), in Key Stage 2. Younger children who are confident with tenths and hundredths could try it with help, and older children can use it for revision.
- What will children practise?
They practise adding and subtracting decimals with up to two places, and converting metres to centimetres. All of it uses long jump scores, so the numbers have a real meaning for children.
- Does page 2 have the answers?
Yes. Page 2 is for the grown up. It has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, a stretch idea and the answers. Keep it separate until your child has finished.
- Should children show their working?
Yes. The sheet asks children to show their working. This helps them line up decimal points, helps adults see where a slip happened, and builds the habit of explaining their thinking.
- What if it feels too hard?
Provide place value grids and let children write 5.2 as 5.20 before subtracting. Try the totals on their own first, then return to the questions on another day.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use 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 supports mixed ability groups.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Black and white printing on plain A4 paper is fine.
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.