1. Connecting Academics & Parents
Academic seminars to sharpen skills and build understanding in Division of Decimals
Critical Point: Welcome Parents and share that this session is about how to help their child have a better understanding of division of decimals.
Step By Step Directions:
Welcome Parents and Guardians to the training.
Share that this training is about how they can help their child better understand division of decimals.
Explain that they will be engaged in some activities that will help them to support their child with division of decimals.
The training will also include some purposeful practice tasks that they can do at home.
Only spend about 2 minutes on this slide.
Disclaimer: Prior to training, preview the problems so that you understand how to connect number lines, repeated subtraction and procedures for parents.
Materials List: Base Ten Blocks, Grid paper, number line sheets, pencil, copy paper
Copies in Packet: Powerpoint Slides (2 per page), Centimeter Grid Paper, Number line sheets

2. Math may look different now.
There’s nothing better than seeing your kids SUCCEED
and there’s nothing worse than not being able to help them when they are struggling.
Share the points on the slide. Math may look different now. There’s nothing better than seeing your kids succeed…and there’s nothing worse than not being able to help them when they are struggling.
Research from
Dr. Drew Westen, Emory professor,
and 100Kin10

3. Times change, technologies change, and knowledge changes about how to teach kids to apply what they know to real-life situations.
for joining in to learn more about how to help with math.
Thank you
Share that times change, technologies change, and knowledge changes about how to teach kids to apply what they know about real-life situations. Thank the parents for attending/joining in to learn more about how to help their child with math.
Research from
Dr. Drew Westen, Emory professor,
and 100Kin10

4. Mathematics Florida Standards Focus
Grade 5
MAFS.5.NBT.2.7
Divide decimal values to the hundredths using models, strategies involving place values, and properties of operations.
Being able to relate the strategy to an algorithm.
MAFS.5.NBT.2.7
Divide decimal values to the hundredths using models, strategies involving place values, and properties of operations.
Being able to relate the strategy to an algorithm.
MAFS.5.NBT.2.7
Divide decimal values to the hundredths using models, strategies involving place values, and properties of operations.
Being able to relate the strategy to an algorithm.
MAFS.5.NBT.2.7
Divide decimal values to the hundredths using models, strategies involving place values, and properties of operations.
Being able to relate the strategy to an algorithm.
MAFS.5.NBT.2.7
Divide decimal values to the hundredths using models, strategies involving place values, and properties of operations.
Being able to relate the strategy to an algorithm.
Critical Point: Grade 5 Students are required to divide decimals.
Step By Step Directions:
Read the slide to the parents.
Share with parents that grade 5 students are required to divide decimals.
Share with parents that the standard on the slide is a summary of the standard that we will be addressing in this parent training and if they would like to learn more about the standard they can go to The highlighted parts of the standard are what’s most important.
Spend about 1 minute on this slide.

5. Learning Progression: Division of Decimals
3.OA.2.5
4.NBT.2.6
5.NBT.2.7
6.NS.2.3
Critical Point: Show how learning about division of decimals progresses from earlier grades to future grades.
Step by Step Directions:
Share learning progression for division of decimals.
Provide parents/guardians with a generalized overview of the progression for division of decimals such as:
It begins in third grade by developing understanding of operations and applying properties of operations to divide.
Grade 4 embeds formal instruction with whole number division including 1 digit divisors and up to 4 digit dividends
Grade 5 connects understanding of whole number division to decimal division through understanding that you still have a divisor, dividend and quotient.
Grade 6 applies understanding of division of decimals to the standard algorithm.
3. Share with parents that if they want to learn more about the standards go to www. flstandards.org
4. Spend about 2 minutes about the slide.
Find whole-number quotients using models and strategies based on place value, the properties of operations.
Dividing decimal values to the hundredths using models, strategies involving place values, and properties of operations.
Being able to relate the strategy to an algorithm.
Fluently divide multi-digit decimal values using the standard algorithm.
Apply the properties of operations as strategies to divide. 5
Copyright 2009
Copyright 2009

6. Decimal Division 5 equal groups 2.0 ÷ 0.4
What does it mean when we ask a child to divide?
Think of the expression: ÷ 4
2.0 ÷ 0.4
Split into
equal groups of
4 tenths
0.4 4
0.4 4
0.4 4
0.4
5 equal groups 4
0.4 4
In fifth grade, we ant your children to be able to relate what they already know about whole number division to the division of decimals.
Critical Point: The structures of division of whole numbers (SMP 7) is the same with the division of decimals.
Step by Step:
Ask the parents to think about what it means when we ask a child to divide. Click once to reveal the example expression 20 divided by 4.
Let the parents share what division means to them, or what they think of when they see this expression.
Click a second time to reveal ‘Split into equal groups of’. Explain to the parents that in third grade their children learned, and by 5th grade they should understand, that division means to split a value into equal groups, ( It can by interpreted as either spit in to equal groups of or spit into a number of equal groups).
Click a third time to show the numberline and explain that a student in fifth grade should be able to see that 20 split into groups of four would give them five equal groups.
Click again to change the expression from 20 divided by four to 2 wholes divided by 0.4. Ask the parents how this is similar to what we just did. You are looking for a parent who can explain that it is the same thing. We now have 20 tenths instead of wholes and are still splitting into groups of four, but each tick mark is a tenth, so it is groups of 4 tenths.
Click a fifth time to reveal this in the model.
Click a final time and explain to the parents that in fifth grade we want to build on the division skills that our children already have by relating what they know about whole number division to decimal division as we just modeled.
Spend about 3 minutes on this slide.

7. Estimate your solution . Estimate your solution .
4 meters ÷ 4 sides = 1 meter
2 meters ÷ 4 sides = 0.5 meter
Between 0.5 meter and 1 meter for each side
Estimate your solution .
Estimate your solution .
Critical Point: Participants should be able to create concrete and representational models to show division of decimal values.
Materials: Have Grid paper, numberline sheets, copy paper, pencils, and Base Ten Blocks available for the parents to work with.
Step by Step:
Engage participants in solving the problem ask them to think about how they could estimate, or reason about how much wood would be used on each side of the frame.
Allow a few participants to share their estimates and strategies (whole group) before actually solving the problem. (Look for parents who could explain that that 2 wholes are close to 2 and 4 tenths and 2 wholes can be split into 4 halves or 0.5, so 2.4 split into 4 equal groups will be about five tenths.)
Click once to reveal one possible estimation strategy. Explain that a child could reason that if the had 4 meters then each side would be 1 meter long. And if the had 2 meters which is half of the amount of wood, each side would have to be half of that which would be 0.5 meter long. So, because 2.4 meters is between 2 and 4 meters our quotient should be between 0.5 and 1 meter. Clarify with the parents that estimation is a real world skill and there are a variety of strategies. By being able to reason through a problem quickly in this way a child can generate a reasonable benchmark to compare the reasonableness of their final solution to.
Click a second time and ask the parents to now solve the problem using at least two strategies to confirm their solution. Remind them that they have manipulatives and materials at their tables. Circulate through the parents and look for parents who use a concrete model, such as 2 rods and 4 units regrouped into 24 unit cubes, and then split into four groups of six units. Ask them what each unit cube and rod represents. (With this model you would want the parent to explain that the rods are a whole meter and were regrouped into 24 tenths of a meter, put into groups of 6 tenths of a meter. Parents could also use the flat to represent a whole meter, then the rods would be a tenth of a meter.) Look for a representational model such as using graph paper or a numberline. ( If a parent uses a number line that skip counts by groups of 0.4, ask the parent how they determined their units. A parent should explain that they used their multiplication facts and 6 groups of 4 would give them 24 wholes, so 6 groups or skips of 0.4 would give 24 tenths or 2.4 tenths. Look for a parent who has labeled their model, or ask them to label what shows the sides, the total amount of wood used, and the amount on each side. )
Allow the parents to share. Ask the parents what do the unit cubes, or rods, or flats represent. Ask them how this is
similar to whole number division. Leave the concrete(base ten blocks) and representational (grid paper) displayed.
Ask participants: How are the concrete and representational models alike? (Both models split the total into equal
groups.)How are they different? ( The representational is easier to label. One uses tools and one can be done with
pencil ad paper, which might be more efficient.)
5. Ask the parents to compare the final solution to our original estimate. Based on our original thinking, is the solution
reasonable? (0.6 of a meter is between 0.5 and 1 meter.) How could your child use this to more efficiently check
their work? (This gives a reasonable benchmark that can be found more quickly than reworking the entire problem.)
6. Spend about 10 minutes on this slide.
Solve the problem using two different strategies.

8. ? 1 meter 1 meter Total wood for the picture frame is 2.4 meters
4 tenths of a meter
2.4 meters = 24 tenths
of a meter ?
0.6 of a meter of wood for each side
Critical Point: Participants should be able to relate the concrete model of dividing decimal values to whole number division.
Note: This slide models how to relate decimal division to whole number division and regrouping, previously learned skills. It may be helpful to have the parents use the Base Ten blocks to model along with the animation if you did not see this understanding in the previous slide.
Step by Step:
Explain to the parents that we are using models to help their children relate what they already know in whole number division to division with decimals.
Click the first time to reveal that in this scenario we are splitting 2.4 meters into 4 equal groups representing the sides of the frame. The Base Ten blocks could be used to help the child see the place value more concretely. The flats could represent the wholes and the rods could represent tenths of those wholes.
Click a second time to show that a child in fifth grade should be able to see that the two wholes won’t fit equally into the four groups.
Click a third time to show that using what they have learned about regrouping whole numbers in prior grades they could regroup the two wholes as 10 tenths each. Now we 24 tenths.
Click a fourth time to show that a students basic division fact knowledge from 3rd and 4th grade should allow them to easily see that 24 tenths can be split into 4 groups of 6 tenths each.
Click a final time to reveal that this gives them a solution of 0.6 meter of wood on each side of the frame. Highlight with parents the importance of using labels and asking their children what each of the numbers mean, and why they are performing each step. This is what they would do with the math in the real world and makes the skill more functional.
Spend about 5 minutes on this slide.
Four equal sides of the frame
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9. Talk with your tablemates.
As students model division problems, ask them to identify the dividend, the divisor, and the quotient in each model. This will help you to assess whether students fully grasp the concept when they are modeling a division scenario.
Critical Point: The structures of division and the associated vocabulary of whole numbers is the same with the division of decimals.
Step by Step:
Ask the parents to read the info on the slide.
Click once, and ask them to talk at their tables.
Debrief whole group.
Highlight that by having the students identify what the divisor, dividend and quotient are and what they are using each value for in the problem, students will begin to relate that what they know about whole number division still holds true for decimal division. This way they are not learning something entirely new, but building or developing a skill using strategies they have already learned.
Spend about 1 minute on this slide.

10. Estimate your solution. Estimate your solution.
10 x 0.3 = 3.0
So, a little more than 10 bags
Estimate your solution.
Critical Point: Participants should be able to create concrete and representational models of the division of a decimal by a decimal value.
Materials: Have Grid paper, number line sheets,copy paper, pencils, and Base Ten Blocks available for the parents to work with.
Step by Step:
Engage participants in solving the problem.
Ask them to develop an estimate, and circulate to select a couple of reasonable estimates from parents who can explain how they worked them out. (Parents could see that 3 tenths multiplied by 12 will give then 36 tenths. This gives a reasonable solution that they can use as a benchmark to compare to the solution they get when they attempt to prove it using a model.)
Click to reveal another strategy for estimation. Explain that a student in 5th grade should be able to reason ten groups of 0.3 would be 3 wholes using knowledge previously learned in 5th grade. They know that 10 groups of 1 tenth makes one whole, so ten groups of 3 tenths would make 3 wholes. Using their knowledge of multiplication the student could estimate that 10 groups or bags could be made from 3.0 yards of fabric , and we have a little more than 3 yards so we should be able to make a little more than 10 groups or bags. Which a student could use as a benchmark to check the reasonableness of their final answer.
Click a second time and ask the participants to use at least two strategies to prove their solution to this problem.
Circulate as parents work through the problem. Look for parents who create models using base ten block or use multiplication with the values labeled. If you see a parent using base ten blocks(a concrete model) by regrouping 3 flats and 6 rods into equal groups of 3 rods of tenths of a yard, ask the parent what do the rods represent. (tenths of a yard) Ask the parent what each group represents. ( a bag) Look for parents who use an open number line and skip count by groups of 0.3 to get to 3.6. Ask them why they chose skips of 0.3 on their numberline.( that was the size of each group or amount of fabric in a bag) Ask them how they could use labels to show what represents the shopping bags, amount of fabric, and amount in each bag in their model.) Select and sequence concrete, number lines or grid paper models that are labeled, and then show any models that used multiplication. Allow the parents to share, and ask them what the blocks or numbers in their value represent.
Ask parents: How are they using what the student already knows about whole numbers to divide with decimals? (This is similar to dividing 36 by 3 wholes, we have just changed the unit to tenths.)
Spend about 10 minutes on this slide.
Solve using at least two strategies.

11. Base ten blocks or grid paper helps students make sense of decimal division without using an algorithm. Click to advance.
3.6 ÷ 0.3
Misconception Alert!
3.6
Regroup to 36 tenths
Make groups of 3 tenths
Solution:
12 groups of 0.3
Critical point: Participants should be able to relate the base ten model to the standard algorithm
Step by Step Directions:
Share with the parents that Base Ten blocks help to build the students understanding of how they regroup in decimal division the same way that they do with whole numbers.
Click once to show a Base Ten model of our Dividend 3.6 yards of fabric. Explain that in the standard algorithm we just move the decimal over one place to right in the dividend and divisor, to divide as whole numbers, but what we want the students to see is that we are really just converting both the divisor and dividend to a common unit. Tenths.
Click a second time to reveal that 3.6 can also be represented as 36 tenths, by regrouping the 3 wholes as 30 tenths. Now we are splitting 36 tenths into groups of 3 tenth, because we have a common unit we no longer need the decimal to represent the values.
Click a third time to show that this shows us why we move the decimal. Now that each value is represented as a number of tenths, they can be grouped to show that their will be 12 groups or bags created from the 3.6 yards of fabric.
Click a final time to reveal to the parents a misconception. Explain that by trying to simply followed memorized rule or set of procedures a student can sometimes skip looking at whether their math makes sense. In this problem a student incorrectly made 4 groups instead of groups of 4 tenths. Asking a student questions like what is the size of the groups in the divisor( we are making groups of 4 tenths), or asking them to regroup both the divisor and dividend as a common unit (tenths) could help them to see their mistake.
Spend about 5 minutes on this slide.

12. 3 ÷ 1 = 3 About 3 hours Solve using 2 different strategies.
Connecting to the Standard Algorithm
Sherri hikes on the Pacific Coast trail. She plans to hike 3.6 miles. If she hikes at an average speed of 1.2 miles per hour, how long will she hike?
3 ÷ 1 = 3
About 3 hours
Estimate your solution.
Estimate your solution.
Solve using 2 different strategies.
Critical Point: Parents connect the representational model to an algorithm.
Materials: Have Grid paper, number line sheets, copy paper, pencils, and Base Ten Blocks available for the parents to work with.
Step by Step:
Engage participants in solving the problem.
Ask them to develop an estimate, and circulate to select a couple of reasonable estimates from parents who can explain how they worked them out.
Click to reveal another strategy for estimation. Explain that a student could use their understanding of whole number division and use front-end estimation by dividing the wholes to estimate that the solution should be about 3 hours.
Click a second time and ask the parents to use 2 different strategies to solve the problem.
Circulate and look for parents who use either labeled representational models ( such as grid paper or drawing out a quick pic of base ten blocks) or a labeled standard algorithm. Ask them what each value or part of their model represents(the 3.6 is the total number of miles traveled, the 1.2 miles is the distance traveled every hour, and the quotient is the number of hours the trip takes.) Allow the parents to share and explain how they determined their solution. Leave the models displayed and have the parents relate them. How are these models similar?( The Base Ten Block or gridded paper quick pics shows how regrouping to a common unit of tenths happens in the algorithm.)
Ask the parents How the model might help their child better understand what is happening when you regroup in the standard algorithm? ( The quick pic or models show how and why you move the decimal point.)
Spend about 5 minutes on this slide.

13. ) 3 groups or hours 1.2 3.6 12 36 36 tenths tenths tenths
Sherri hikes on the Pacific Coast trail. She plans to hike 3.6 miles. If she hikes at an average speed of 1.2 miles per hour, how long will she hike?
3 groups or hours ) 12 36
36 tenths
tenths
tenths
Critical Point: One of the most important concepts that students need to grasp is that they must always multiply the dividend by the same power of 10 as a the divisor if the want to get a new expression that remains equivalent to the original expression.
Step by Step:
This animation is to help illustrate how the standard long division or place value algorithm relates to the Base Ten block models, or regrouping strategy that we have been developing.
Click once to show the algorithm and the Base Ten block models.
Click a second time to show what we do in the standard algorithm, by moving the decimal to the right one place value in both the divisor and the dividend, we are converting them to a common unit of tenths. This is what we are doing by regrouping our 3 wholes (represented by flats) into 30 rods or tenths.
Click a third time to show that we next create groups of 12 tenths , which will give us 3 equal groups of 12 tenths of a mile, to show how many hours it takes Sherri to hike.
Spend about 3 minutes on this slide.
Copyright 2009

14. Take it Home and Try It! DO TRY THIS AT HOME!
Warning: Implementing this engaging activity will result in an increase in motivation and long-lasting learning.
Dividing money by whole numbers helps students make real world connections to dividing by decimals. Three different real world connections could be:
Finding the best buy
David pays $64.11 for 3 tickets to the Bucs game. Sherry paid $42.88 for 2 tickets. Who got the better buy? Justify your solution.
Splitting a bill in a restaurant
The total bill at Chili’s was $ The bill was split equally between Darrell and his five friends. How much did each person pay?
Critical Point: These are some real world activities that parents can do with their child to help them practice their understanding of decimal division.
Step By Step Directions:
Share the two purposeful practice tasks that are on the slide.
Click to share that parents are going to receive a document with problems involving division of decimals, the problem on the slide is an example to support their child’s understanding of division of decimals.
Discuss sample answers to the questions. (Question #1: Sherri pays $21.44 for each ticket, we did this first because it is simpler to divide in half, and If I multiplied that same amount( $21.44) by 3 tickets we get $64.32, which is more than David paid. Therefore, David paid less for his tickets. Question #2: $75.42 split 6 ways equally would be $12.57.)
What strategy could you use to solve the problem? (draw a model-wholes, tenths, hundredths, use a numberline, or the standard algorithm)
What operation would use to solve the problem? Why? ( Both situations involve splitting an amount equally, so they would use division.)
What does the quotient represent in the problem? (In the first problem, the quotients are the amount for each ticket. In the second situation, the quotient is the amount each person will pay for the bill.)
Answer any remaining questions parents have about Division of Decimals.
This slide should take about 3 minutes.
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15. Things to remember about Dividing Decimals:
Ideas to reflect upon why it’s important to understand dividing decimals conceptually:
Rather than memorizing some new procedure, students learning about division with decimals ought to understand why it matters, why it works, and how they might use it in real life someday.
Education needs to give our students a core of knowledge and an ability to apply that knowledge in real-world settings.
How did this session help you in supporting your child’s understanding of dividing decimals?
Why do you think it’s important for your child to NOT rush to memorizing procedures for dividing decimals without understanding?
Conceptual understanding of what a Decimal is must occur before teaching operations with decimals.
Connect understanding of whole number division to decimal division.
Allow your child to create and label models in order to better understand division of decimals.
Critical Point: Building content knowledge for parents on supporting their child for understanding dividing decimals.
Step By Step Directions:
Click through each of the three bullets and read the information on the slide.
Answer any questions that your parents may have.
Click a fourth time to engage your parents in a discussion about the question. (Answers should include: Models of division allow students to understand that division is being used in the problem, and to better understand what the quotient, divisor and dividend are.)
Click a fifth time to share the ideas as to why it’s important to teach decimal division conceptually- allow parents to think and reflect, may not have time to share out thoughts.
Click a sixth time to engage your parents in a discussion about the question. Answers will vary.
Thank your parents for coming and taking an active interest in their child’s mathematics education.
This slide should take about 5 minutes.
Copyright 2009