Place Value Teaching Resources
Browse place value charts, printable worksheets, games and more teaching resources aligned to the Australian curriculum.
This collection of teacher-created resources has been carefully reviewed by the expert teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure every single one is ready to use in the classroom. That means you can save hours on lesson planning with activities ready to print or use digitally!
Want to learn more about this section of the maths curriculum, or just looking for fresh ideas to engage your students? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a look at the meaning of place value and tips on teaching place value in the classroom!
What Is Place Value? A Kid-Friendly Definition
When it comes time to teach place value, it helps to have a simple definition to use to introduce this core maths concept to your class. Here's how we explain the meaning to our students:
In maths, the term place value refers to the value of a digit in relation to its position in a number. For example, in the decimal system (also referred to as the Hindu-Arabic system), which is based on powers of 10, the value of a digit in a number depends on its position relative to the decimal point, as follows:
- The digit in the ones place has a value of 1 times the digit.
- The digit in the tens place has a value of 10 times the digit.
- The digit in the hundreds place has a value of 100 times the digit.
- The digit in the thousands place has a value of 1000 times the digit.
- And so on.
Place Value Example
Like most maths concepts, looking at place value examples with your students is key to helping them understand the concept. So let's look at an example of place value using the number 3245:
- 3 is in the thousands place
- 2 is in the hundreds place
- 4 is in the tens place
- 5 is in the ones place
Therefore, its value can be calculated as:
(3 x 1000) + (2 x 100) + (4 x 10) + (5 x 1) = 3000 +200 +40 + 5 = 3245.
Why Is Place Value Important?
Place value is an important concept for primary students to understand, as it is a major factor in understanding numbers and their overall value.
Understanding place value is also essential for performing the four maths operations, and it will help students as they move on toward working with decimal fractions, scientific notation and other mathematical concepts.
What Is a Place Value Chart?
A handy tool for teaching this maths concept is the place value chart! This visual teaching tool can be used to represent and organise numbers based on their value and position in a given number.
A place value chart is typically divided into columns representing the different powers of 10 in our number system. Each column is labelled with the name of the place value it represents (e.g. ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.) and contains a series of boxes or cells — each of which corresponds to a single digit.
The rightmost column will represent the ones place, the next column to the left will represent the tens place, the next represents the hundreds place, and so on.
Place Value vs. Face Value — What's the Difference?
At some point, your students may ask about face value — after all, the terms sound similar! So are they interchangeable? The answer is no.
Face value and place value — despite their similar names — are not the same, but they are related.
As we've already noted, the place value of a digit tells us the value of that digit based on its position in a number. The place value of a digit changes depending on where it is in the number.
On the other hand, the face value of a digit tells us the actual value of the digit itself, regardless of its position in the number. So, for example, in the number 357, the face value of the digit 5 is simply 5.
In essence, place value is what helps us understand the value of a number based on the position of its digits, but face value is what helps us understand the value of individual digits in a number.
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MAB Block Picture Cards
A set of MAB Block picture cards to use when exploring place value and partitioning numbers.
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Multiply by Powers of 10 Worksheet Set
Use our multiply by powers of 10 worksheet set to give your students practise multiplying whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000.
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Rounding to the Nearest Ten, Hundred and Thousand Worksheet
Review rounding concepts with a worksheet covering rounding to the nearest ten, hundred, and thousand.
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Rounding Numbers – Maths Mazes
Round numbers to various places while finding your way through this set of 5 maths mazes.
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Percy's Place Value Puzzle
A worksheet to use to consolidate student understanding of place value to the thousands.
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Rounding Activity (Warm-Up Teaching Slides)
Use this digital rounding activity to review rounding numbers to the tens, hundreds and thousands place.
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Rounding to the Nearest 100 Worksheet
Help your students find the correct bone for each dog by rounding to the nearest hundreds place with this maths worksheet designed for year 2 and 3 students.
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Roll It, Make It, Expand It! - Place Value Worksheet
A worksheet for students to use when learning about the place value of two-digit numbers.
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Ordering Large Numbers Worksheet Set
Share this ordering large numbers worksheet set with your students to evaluate their skill in ordering numbers from the thousands to the millions.
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Partitioning 2-Digit Numbers Match-Up Activity
Help children partition 2-digit numbers by identifying the place value of the tens and ones with this matching activity.
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Rounding Numbers Teaching Slides
Teach students how to round to the nearest ten and hundred with an interactive, explicit instructional teaching presentation.
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Year 5 - Decimal Place Value Assessment
Assess your students' skills with decimals and place value using a printable Year 5 Decimal Place Value Test.
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2-Digit Number of the Day Warm-Up PowerPoint
Review various 2-digit maths concepts with a Number of the Day slide deck and recording sheet.
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Worksheet Set — Rounding Using a Vertical Number Line
Use a vertical number line to round whole numbers to the tens, hundreds, and thousands place with a pack of differentiated rounding worksheets.
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Maths Mazes (Place Value)
Determine the correct paths through each maze using knowledge of place value.
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Number and Place Value Worksheets - Year 4
14 number and place value worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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Exploring 2-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
Explore 2-digit numbers using place value strategies with an interactive teaching presentation.
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Rounding Numbers Activity (Escape Room)
Play our rounding numbers activity in your classroom to engage students as they practise and extend their rounding and critical thinking skills.
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I Have, Who Has? – Place Value Games (2-Digit Numbers)
Reinforce your students understanding of 2-digit Place Value concepts with printable Place Value Games for Year 1 students.
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Hundreds Place Value Number Expander Template
Explore expanding 3 digit numbers with your students using this number expander template.
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Place Value Worksheets (Platypus Theme)
Practise expanded notation and writing numbers in words with the Place Value Platypus.
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Two-Digit Place Value Bingo Game (Digits and MAB)
32 different bingo cards using place value to 99.
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Base Ten Block Matching Cards (Numbers 1 - 120)
Connect base ten block representations with numerals with these multi-use matching cards.
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Roll and Expand Numbers Worksheet Pack
Explore place value with you rstudents using this set of levelled expanding numbers worksheets.
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3-Digit Number Forms Worksheet
Help students practise their knowledge of 3-digit numbers with this place value worksheet that covers MAB blocks, standard form, and expanded form.
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Printable Maths Mats - Graphic Organisers
Practise working on specific math concepts with our set of 5 printable math graphic organisers.
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Interactive PowerPoint - 2-Digit Place Value Game
Review various Year 1 place value concepts with an interactive place value warmup.
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Place Value Poster Set — Whole Numbers
Display this colourful place value poster set in your classroom to remind your students of place values to the millions and billions.
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Ordering 2-Digit Numbers Interactive Task Cards
Download our Ordering 2-Digit Numbers Interactive Task Cards for an engaging way to practise ordering numbers up to 120.
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Place Value Bingo Game Numbers Up to 10 000
Practise place value knowledge in numbers up to 10 000 with this set of bingo cards.
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Flip, Draw, Expand! - Place Value Worksheet (3-Digit Numbers)
A worksheet to use when consolidating understanding of place value to hundreds.
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Place Value Banner - Billions to Thousandths
A banner that displays extended place value.