Decimal Word Problems

Grade level

5th grade

Time

About 30 minutes

Topic

Math word problems

Answer key

Yes, page 2 of the PDF

Kids practice

Reading word problems, Choosing the operation, Showing work, Multi-step reasoning

What kids do

“Line up the decimal points to add and subtract. Count the decimal places to multiply.”

Printed on the sheet:

1. 1 Ella buys a sandwich for $4.75 and a drink for $1.80. How much does she spend?
2. 2 A board is 3.5 meters long. Dad cuts off 1.25 meters. How long is the board now?
3. 3 A runner runs 2.4 miles a day for 5 days. How far does she run in all?
4. 4 Four friends share a $13.60 pizza bill equally. How much does each friend pay?
5. 5 A bag of rice weighs 2.75 pounds. How much do 6 bags weigh?

Teacher tip

Estimate with whole numbers first so kids catch a misplaced decimal point.

How to use it

• Read each problem out loud for kids who are still building reading skills.
• Teach a routine: read it, picture it, circle the question, solve, check.
• Do the first problem together under a document camera, then let kids finish on their own.

Watch for

Kids who grab the numbers and add without reading. Ask them to retell the story first.

Talk about it

• Does your answer make sense in the story?
• Which problem was the hardest? What made it hard?

Take it further

Use the class lunch count, weather chart or library books to make real word problems.

US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.