Decimats:

Helping Students
To Make Sense Of Decimal
Place Value
Background
ANNE ROCHE
A considerable body of research exists
introduces "decimats" on students understanding of decimal
fractions and the prevalence and persistence
and describes how of common misconceptions related to
this understanding (Steinle & Stacey, 2004).
they can be used to Much of this research knowledge has
been inferred from responses to pen and
make sense of paper tests. Data obtained from interviews
are consistent with these findings but
decimal size and also highlight the strategies that are
in harmony with conceptual understanding
decimal place value. of the relative size of decimals
(Roche, 2005; Roche & Clarke, 2004).
Conceptual understanding includes
knowledge of decimal place value and
connections to fractional language for
describing decimals.
Results from major studies such as the
National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) (Wearne & Kouba, 2000) in
the United States and the Concepts in
Secondary Mathematics and Science (CSMS)
(Brown, 1981) in Great Britain also indicated
that decimals create great confusion for
many students.
Results from a multiple choice assessment
item (see Figure 1) that was used in the
Year 7 Achievement Improvement Monitor
(AIM), a standardised test administered in
all Victorian schools prior to national testing,
provide interesting data.

4 APMC 15 (2) 2010

 Decimats: Helping Students to Make Sense of Decimal Place Value

decimals, where the block is now

considered as a one, the flat as a tenth,
and so on. However, it has been
noted by teachers that some children find
making this conceptual leap difficult.
Money is sometimes proposed as a
helpful context, and although it is a
mathematically appropriate context in
which to discuss decimals, it has a
major disadvantage. The coins themselves
Figure 1. AIM item Year 7, 2007. do not model the difference in size
between tenths and hundredths and the
coins could easily give the appearance
This task would be relatively straight of whole numbers (e.g., so many dollars
forward for a student who understood the and so many cents) which could affirm
size of 0.97. A student who understands 0.97 a students misconception that decimals
to be nearly one would quickly determine can be treated like two whole numbers
that 30.1 0.97 was close to 30. However, if separated by a decimal point.
the student did not have this understanding
of the size of the decimal, they may
feel compelled to attempt the multiplication The Decimat and its use in Colour in
first before choosingnot a trivial task. Decimats
Therein lie a number of procedural difficulties
that may account for the distractors (0.003, 3, I now describe an activity that helps students
and 3000). Only 63.0% of Year 7 students to make sense of decimal size and decimal
correctly chose 30. Interestingly, 19.3% place value and which encourages the use
chose 3000, presumably ignoring the of fractional language to describe decimals.
decimal point and multiplying 30 97 and The activity involves the use of a Decimat
therefore treating 0.97 as a whole number. (New Zealand Ministry of Education, 2004;
This misconception (that a decimal can be Wright, 2004) which is a proportional model
treated like a whole number) is very common for representing the size of decimal fractions
for primary students and has been found and makes explicit the ten-ness of our base
still to exist with some students in Year 10 ten place value system (i.e., ten hundredths
(Steinle & Stacey, 2003). make one tenth). The Decimat was developed
originally in New Zealand.
I developed the game after seeing the
Possible models for decimals benefits in developing student understanding
of fractions through the game Colour in
A range of representational tools has been Fractions (Clarke & Roche, in review; Clarke,
proposed to assist students as they develop Roche & Mitchell, 2008). The rules of Colour
understanding of decimal place value. These in Decimats are very similar to those of Colour
include the hundred square, decipipes, Linear in Fractions, with one important difference.
Arithmetic Blocks (LAB) (Helme & Stacey, In Colour in Fractions, the students are not
2000) and Multibase Arithmetic Blocks (MAB). permitted to split a "brick" in the wall to
The hundred square has the disadvantage of make fractions of other sizes. In Colour in
only discretely representing hundredths. Decimats, it is permitted and essential to
MAB, commonly used for whole numbers, partition the tenths or hundredths, but only
can be reconceptualised to introduce into ten equal, smaller parts.

APMC 15 (2) 2010 5

 Roche

Introducing the Decimat For example, rolling a 3 and 1 creates

100
3
100
. She/he then records what has been
The Decimat (see Figures 2 and 3) consists rolled as a fraction and as a decimal, using

of a large rectangle that represents one or the same colour. In the last column, Player A

one whole. The rectangle is then partitioned records (as a decimal) how much is shaded
into ten equal parts, creating tenths. One of altogether? at the completion of that turn.
these tenths is further partitioned into ten As the game proceeds, this column records
equal parts creating hundredths, and one of the cumulative total of how much is shaded
the hundredths is partitioned into ten parts to that point of the game. Player B then rolls
creating thousandths. Unlike the hundred the two dice and continues the game using
square which is also a proportional model for her/his own Decimat gameboard. Players
representing decimals, the Decimat extends take turns in this way. Each player records
to thousandths and in some cases can be used how much of their Decimat is shaded after
to represent decimals that are even smaller. her/his turn. A new colour is chosen at each
The structure of the Decimat allows students roll of the dice. This enables the student
to envisage further partitioning, creating tens (and teacher moving around observing and
of thousandths and further, even though it questioning students) to match the recorded
may be physically too difficult to make the roll with what has been shaded, checking for
lines distinguishable. possible errors.

Figure 2. A blank Decimat. Figure 3. A shaded Decimat (showing 0.125).

It is permitted for tenths/hundredths to be

Colour in Decimats: The rules further divided into hundredths/thousandths,
if more hundredths/thousandths are
Students have 2 die: a normal six-sided required. For example, if a player has shaded
die (although I prefer those with 6 digits all of their hundredths and they then roll 4
rather than dots) and a blank die that has hundredths then the player can cut a tenth
faces labelled 1 , 1 , 1 , 1 , 1 , 1 into ten equal pieces (therefore creating 10
10 100 100 1000 1000 1000
respectively, a Decimat gameboard including hundredths) and shade four of these. This
a recording table (see Appendix 1), and helps to reinforce the relationships between

coloured pencils or textas. tenths, hundredths and thousandths.
Player A rolls the two dice and then The first player to reach one (by shading
shades the product of the two numbers their complete Decimat) or the player closest
displayed using a coloured pencil or texta. to one (by shading more of their Decimat)

6 APMC 15 (2) 2010

 Decimats: Helping Students to Make Sense of Decimal Place Value

after an agreed amount of time has elapsed,

is the winner. If the product of the roll is
greater than the remaining unshaded part of
the Decimat, then the player misses a turn.

A sample game

Below is an example of a game that has

begun between Player A and Player B.
3 6
Over 3 turns, Player A rolls 10 , 100 and
6
another 100 . After 3 turns, 0.42 or 42 of the
100
Decimat is shaded (Figures 4-6).
6 5
Over 2 turns, Player B rolls 1000 and 1000 .
11 1 1
After 2 turns, 0.011 ( 1000 , or 100 and 1000 ) of
the Decimat is shaded (Figures

7 and

8).
Note that on
Player As third turn, she/he

has chosen to create ten more hundredths
6
from a new tenth, and then shade six of Figure 5. Player A Second roll ( ).
100
these. They could have chosen to shade
the remaining four hundredths (including
the ten thousandths) and then create ten Introducing the Decimat before the
more hundredths and shade two of these. By game
choosing to create more hundredths, rather
than shade the remaining hundredths first, Prior to playing the game, I usually spend
the thousandths are available for future rolls. some time with the class making sense of
Students are permitted to make choices like the model. Initially, I show them a Decimat
these, because they still have to total up all containing only tenths with one shaded and
the bits as they record the progressive total discuss how much of the whole rectangle is
through the game. shaded and how we might record this as a
fraction and as a decimal. I then present a
Decimat with hundredths included and one
of the hundredths shaded and continue the
discussion; and so on with thousandths. I
have some large laminated Decimats that
are partially shaded and the students discuss
how we might write the shaded amount as a
decimal (See Figure 9). Among the examples
I include shaded Decimats, where the students
need to record a decimal where there are no
tenths and some hundredths shaded, so that
they consider the importance of the zero
as a placeholder. This initial discussion is
important to help students make sense of the
Decimat and how they might record how
much is shaded altogether? as a decimal, as
this is an important feature of the game they
3
Figure 4. Player A first roll ( ). are about to play.
10

APMC 15 (2) 2010 7

 Roche

6 6
Figure 6. Player A third roll ( ). Figure 7. Player B first roll ( ).
100 1000

Figure 9. Recording the shaded amount as a decimal.

5
Figure 8. Player B second roll ( ).
1000

8 APMC 15 (2) 2010

 Decimats: Helping Students to Make Sense of Decimal Place Value

Important features of the game 4. When recording in the How much

Colour in Decimats is shaded altogether? column, it is
anticipated that the students will count
1. An important feature of this game is the the number of tenths, hundredths, etc.,
use of colour to differentiate each turn. that are shaded. However, as partitioning
This makes it possible for the teacher or occurs, this becomes more difficult.
the student to check that what they have The student is then required to make
shaded matches what they have recorded sense of, for example, a Decimat that has 2
as their roll. I have found that when tenths, 12 hundredths and 16 thousandths
students are first introduced to this game, shaded. This affords opportunities for
errors can be common. It is helpful for the students, with appropriate support
teacher to be roving and checking as the from peers and possibly the teacher,
students are playing, and over time and with to regroup and rename, such that 10
subsequent episodes with this game, there of the hundredths makes one tenth,
will be fewer errors. As with most games and 10 of the thousandths makes one
in mathematics, it is crucial to play it on hundredth, thus totalling 3 tenths,
a number of occasions to make the most 3 hundredths and 6 thousandths
of the experience in a mathematical or 0.336.
learning sense. 5. The recording table provides evidence
1
2. The wooden die has 10 on one face, of the students capacity to move
1 1
100
on two faces, and 1000 on three appropriately between fraction notation
faces, written as fractional notation on and decimal notation, to match these

the cube. This has been done intentionally. to an appropriate amount of shaded area

The fraction notation (rather than on the model, as well as facility with the
decimal) encourages the students to use addition of decimals.
fractional language (rather than zero 6. As the game is not intended as a testing
point one or zero point zero one, situation, the place value grid has
etc). The use of fractional language been included to help remind students
helps to create a strong link between which place after the decimal
the fraction notation, the decimal point represents tenths, hundredths,
notation and the decimal place value. thousandths, respectively.
For example, if I roll three hundredths, 7. I recommend the game for Year 4 to
then I need to record this as a fraction 8 students, however the game can be
and as a decimal, thereby connecting adapted for younger students by removing
3
100
to 0.03. Also, the abundance the thousandths from the gameboard
of thousandths on the die (rather and from the die.

than 2 tenths and 2 hundredths and 8. In order for the game to have maximum
2 thousandths) increases the necessity to effect, it needs to be the basis of a
create thousandths and therefore explore whole lesson each time it is played, and
the ten-ness of the relationship between not just a warm up (Bragg, 2006).
tenths and hundredths and thousandths. Careful debriefing with questions like,
3. Providing opportunities for the students to if you played the game again, what
further partition tenths or hundredths to would you do differently? or what did
create hundredths or thousandths, helps you learn mathematically from the game
to make explicit the structure of our place today that you didnt know when you
value system (e.g., a tenth is ten times walked in the door? can help to maximise
bigger than one hundredth). the effect of the game.

APMC 15 (2) 2010 9

 Roche

New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2004). Teaching

Conclusion fractions, decimals and percentages (Book 7 National
Professional Development Projects). Wellington,
New Zealand: Author.
I encourage teachers to use this game to Roche, A., (2005). Longer is larger Or is it? Australian
introduce students to the Decimat as a model Primary Mathematics Classroom, 10(3), 1116.
Roche, A., & Clarke, D., (2004). When does successful
for representing decimals. Once the students comparison of decimals reflect conceptual
are familiar with this model, it can then understanding? In I. Putt, R. Faragher, & M.
become a tool for making sense of decimals. McLean (Eds), Mathematics education for the third
millennium: Towards 2010 (Proceedings of the 27th
When students exhibit some misconception Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education
or misunderstanding about the relative size of Research Group of Australasia, pp. 486493).
Townsville: MERGA.
two decimals, they could shade in two blank
Stacey, K., & Steinle, V., (1998). Refining the
Decimats and compare the area shaded. classification of students interpretations of decimal
notation. Hiroshima Journal of Mathematics Education,
6, 4969.
Steinle, V., & Stacey, K., (2003). Grade-related trends
Acknowledgements in the prevalence and persistence of decimal
misconceptions. In N. Pateman, B. Dougherty,
& J. Zilliox (Eds), Proceedings of the 2003 Joint
I would like to thank Vince Wright and Peter Meeting of PME and PMENA (Vol. 4, pp. 259266).
Hughes for their original development of the Honolulu: International Group for the Psychology
Decimat and for Brian Storey who invented of Mathematics Education.
Steinle, V., & Stacey, K., (2004). A longitudinal study
the name Decimat. of students understanding of decimal notation:
I am also grateful to teachers and students An overview and refined results. In I. Putt, R.
Faragher, & M. McLean (Eds), Mathematics education
in Catholic schools in the Melbourne
for the third millennium: Towards 2010 (Proceedings
Archdiocese, who trialled the use of Decimats of the 27th Annual Conference of the Mathematics
as part of the Contemporary Teaching and Education Research Group of Australasia, pp.
541548). Townsville: MERGA.
Learning of Mathematics Project. Wearne, D., & Kouba, V. L., (2000). Rational numbers.
In E. A. Silver & P. A. Kenny (Eds), Results from the
seventh mathematics assessment of the national assessment
of educational progress (pp. 163191). Reston VA:
References National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Bragg, L., (2006). Hey, Im learning this. Australian Wright, V., (2004). Decimals: Getting the point. In B.
Primary Mathematics Classroom, 11(4), 47. Taditch, S. Tobias, C. Brew, B. Beatty & P. Sullivan
Brown, M. (1981). Place value and decimals. In K. M. (Eds), Towards excellence in mathematics (Proceedings
Hart (Ed.), Childrens understanding of mathematics: of the Annual Conference of the Mathematical
1116 (pp. 48-65). London: Alden Press. Association of Victoria, pp. 598607). Melbourne:
Clarke, D., & Roche, A. (in review). The power of a MAV.
single game to address a range of important ideas
in fraction learning. Australian Primary Mathematics
Classroom.
Clarke, D., M., Roche, A., & Mitchell, A. (2008). Ten Anne Roche
practical, research-based tips for making fractions
come alive (and make sense) in the middle years.
Australian Catholic University
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 13(7), <[email protected]>
373380. APMC
Helme, S., & Stacey, K., (2000). Can minimal support
for teachers make a difference to students
understanding of decimals? Mathematics Teacher
Education and Development, 2, 105120.

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 Decimats: Helping Students to Make Sense of Decimal Place Value

Activity Sheet: Colour in Decimats

units tenths hundredths thousandths

What I Rolled How much is shaded altogether?

Fraction Decimal Decimal

APMC 15 (2) 2010 11