Ordering decimals: tenths and hundredths

Use this worksheet to encourage your child to practise ordering decimals. This activity focuses on the tenths and hundredths.

How do you order decimals? 

Ordering decimals involves arranging decimal numbers from least to greatest, or from greatest to least. To do this, you can follow these steps:

• Look at the whole numbers: If the whole number part of the decimals is different, start by comparing these whole numbers. The decimal with the larger whole number is greater.
• If whole numbers are the same: Look at the decimal parts. Begin by comparing the digit in the tenths place, then the hundredths place, and so on.
• Add leading zeros: If one decimal has more decimal places than the other, add zeros to the shorter one so that they have the same number of decimal places. This helps in making a direct comparison.
• Compare digit by digit: Compare the digits in each corresponding place value. Start from the left and move to the right. The first digit where the decimals differ determines their order.

How will this worksheet help your child order decimals?

This colourful teacher-created worksheet helps your child learn how to recognise the value of decimal numbers and order them from smallest to largest. It provides a brief but clear explanation of what tenths and hundredths are and how to identify them, then asks your child to cut out the decimal numbers and place them in order. They can have as many goes as they like, moving the numbers around until they feel confident that they understand why one is smaller than the other. 

TheSchoolRun.com has plenty of helpful advice and information about decimals, as well as tutorials and worksheets.