The Triple Threat:
Fractions, Decimals, %
Up until Year 4, math is mostly whole numbers (1, 2, 3). Then Year 5 hits, and suddenly 0.5, 1/2, and 50% attack all at once. We explain how to stop the panic.
Same Person, Different Clothes
The breakthrough happens when a child realizes these aren't three separate topics. They are three languages for the same number.
Fraction: The visual language (slices of pizza).
Decimal: The money language (0.50 AED).
Percentage: The shopping language (50% off).
The Cheat Sheet: What You Must Know
Print this out. These are the mandatory equivalences every Year 5 student in Dubai must memorize to pass their GL Assessment:
| Fraction | Decimal | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | 0.5 | 50% |
| 1/4 | 0.25 | 25% |
| 3/4 | 0.75 | 75% |
| 1/10 | 0.1 | 10% |
| 1/5 | 0.2 | 20% |
The Two "Career Ending" Mistakes
If your child is getting low grades in this topic, they are likely falling for one of these two logic traps:
1. The "Bigger is Better" Trap
The Mistake: Thinking 0.15 is bigger than 0.5 because "15 is bigger than 5."
The Fix: Add a "ghost zero" to make them the same length. Compare 0.15 vs 0.50. Now it's obvious that 50 is bigger than 15.
2. The "Adding Bottoms" Trap
The Mistake: 1/2 + 1/2 = 2/4.
The Fix: Use pizza. If you eat half a pizza and your friend eats half, do you have two quarters (a small slice) or a whole pizza? Never add the denominator!
Don't Let Them Drown
Year 5 is the bridge to secondary school. If they don't master decimals now, Algebra in Year 7 will be impossible. We fix the gaps before they widen.
Find a Year 5 SpecialistThis article aligns with the Key Stage 2 (Year 5) curriculum used in Dubai British schools. In IB schools (PYP), these concepts are often introduced via "Inquiry" in Grade 4/5.