### ***Practice 1 - Base-Ten Block Representations*** ![[Pasted image 20260421142135.png]] Base-ten blocks are repurposed for decimal instruction by redefining the flat as one whole, the rod as one tenth, and the unit cube as one hundredth. Students build decimal numbers physically and compare values by examining the size of the blocks representing each place value. | Pros | Cons | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Leverages manipulatives students already know from whole number instruction. | Redefining the unit can confuse students who have internalized the original values. | | Makes place value relationships in decimals concrete and visible. | Limited to hundredths without additional tools. | | Supports comparison and addition of decimals through physical modeling. | Must be paired with explicit instruction on place value language. | **** ### ***Practice 2 - Decimal Grids and Hundredths Charts*** ![[Pasted image 20260421142149.png]] Decimal grids — 10×10 grids in which students shade regions to represent tenths and hundredths — provide a visual area model for decimals that connects directly to fraction representation. A shaded 3×10 region represents both 0.30 and 30/100, making the fraction-decimal relationship explicit. |Pros|Cons| |---|---| |Connects decimals to fractions visually and conceptually.|Students may shade grids mechanically without understanding what they represent.| |Easy to use for comparison, addition, and equivalence activities.|Limited to hundredths without extending to a different grid structure.| |Low-prep and reproducible for classroom use.|Some students find the small grid squares difficult to shade accurately with fine motor challenges.|