This is a very basic three step process in most cases. Start by just multiplying the values as if they were whole numbers and no decimal point existed. Take your normal steps to add the products from each place value. Once you have a final answer, here comes the magic! Go back to the original problem and count the number of decimal place values each value has and find their sum. You do this the starting to the right of the value and counting each place, until you reach the point. For example: 4.254 has 3 places. You just apply that sum of decimal places to your product and plop in your decimal point. When students first try to find the product of two decimals, they almost always, lose sight of where the place holder belongs. The vertical alignment of the integers in the problem is the key. How far are they tilted left and right, a simple nudge can mess everything up. That is why we definitely encourage all teachers to advocate to their students that when you are multiplying decimals that you create a grid that contains place values by columns and rows.

You find that we really do a good job of thoroughly covering this skill top to bottom. The numbers and decimal point are written in a larger than normal font on about half of the pages to give students more workable room as the process the operations. These worksheets cover simple tenths place to the ten-thousandths place. These worksheets explain how to multiply and compare decimals, how to place decimal points, and how to scale using decimals. In addition students will multiply decimals with values in the tenth, hundredth, and thousandth places. Step-by-step solutions and practice problems are provided.