Important Notice: Our web hosting provider recently started charging us for additional visits, which was unexpected. In response, we're seeking donations. Depending on the situation, we may explore different monetization options for our Community and Expert Contributors. It's crucial to provide more returns for their expertise and offer more Expert Validated Answers or AI Validated Answers. Learn more about our hosting issue here.

I wonder if primary school children need to be exposed to decimals longer than one or two decimal places.?

April 26, 2017children decimal decimals longer primary School wonder

0

Posted

I wonder if primary school children need to be exposed to decimals longer than one or two decimal places.?

1 Answer

0

Posted

For many children it takes several years for full understanding of the decimal number system to develop. Children need to work with decimal numbers that contain more than two decimal places to foster this understanding. They need to be able to see the general patterns of the endless base ten chain, not just a few isolated facts they can learn off by heart. There are many contexts (in measurement topics, for example) where such numbers are encountered and this should be encouraged in the primary school classroom.