Decimals
When working with decimal, children appear to have an automatic tendency to see and read the digits after the decimal point as a number, e.g. 2.47 is read as ‘two point forty-seven’ rather than ‘two point four seven’ Consequently this results in numerous mistakes concerning the size of decimal numbers. Children’s comparing and ordering skills become confused. Children need to read decimal numbers correctly. Reading 25.25, for example, as ‘twenty-five point two five’ gives a vocal indication of where the whole numbers end and the fractional parts begin in the same way that the decimal point separates the ‘whole’ from the ‘parts’ visually. This is particularly important in examples like 3.09 which should be read as ‘three point zero nine’ and not as ‘three point nine’ which of course would mean 3.9.
(The exceptions to this rule occur when the figures after the decimal point are given a specific name as in ‘two and forty seven hundredths’ or when they are read as subsets of measurement or currency such as ‘ two metres and forty-seven centimetres’ (shown in decimal from as 2.47m) or ‘two pounds and forty seven pence’ (shown in decimal form as £2.47).
It is often a useful exercise to ‘read’ a decimal number carefully and ‘take it to pieces’ so that the children are reminded of the importance of position of digits: