3rd - 5th Math Vocabulary
Vertical Number Line
A vertical line marked with numbers at
evenly spaced intervals
Tape Diagram
Tape diagrams are models that
students draw to help them visualize
the relationships between the
quantities
Place Value Disks
Fraction Strips
A visual, hands-on tool used to help
students understand place value as it
Strips made from paper, used to fold
relates to the structure of a number, as
and model parts of a whole
well as adding, subtracting, multiplying
and dividing whole numbers and decimals
Array
An arrangement of objects in rows and
columns used to show repeated addition
and fair sharing
Area Model
A model for multiplication that relates
rectangular arrays to area
Number Bond
A graphic showing part/part/whole relationships
of a number that can be used to represent
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
of whole numbers, fractions and decimals
Partial Products
A form of multiplication in which the factors are
decomposed by place value and multiplied in
smaller parts to get partial products. Then the
partial products are added together to find the
total product
Decompose
Break down a number into smaller parts
Unit form
Unit Form is a way to write a number using
the quantity of each of the place value
“units” that compose the number
Compose
Rewrite smaller numbers into a larger
number
Copies
The number of unit fractions in 1 whole
Expanded Form
Standard Form
24.59 = (2 × 10) + (4 × 1) + (5 × 0.1) + (9 × 0.01)
24.59 = (2 × 10) + (4 × 1) + (5 × 0.1) + (9 ×
0.01)
Expanded Form is a way to write a
number that shows the sum of values of
each digit of a number
Standard Form is the most common way
to write a number using just digits
Unit Fraction
Any fraction with a numerator of 1
Decimal Fraction
Any fraction with a denominator of 10, 100,
1000, etc…