Place Value Teaching Resources
Browse place value charts, printable worksheets, games and more teaching resources created by teachers, for teachers like you.
This collection of curriculum-aligned and editable 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 math 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?
In math, 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, 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 math 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 3,245:
- 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 = 3,245.
Why Is Place Value Important?
Place value is an important concept for elementary 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 math 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 math concept is the place value chart! This visual teaching tool can be used to represent and organize numbers based on their value and position in a given number.
How to Use a Place Value Chart
A place value chart is typically divided into columns representing the different powers of 10 in our number system. Each column is labeled 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 corresponding 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.
Students can place a particular number in their place value chart, determine its value, and then figure out two-digit, three-digit, four-digit, and larger numbers.
To read a place value chart, students work their way left or right. For example, if you start from the "ones" place, you can go left one space to the "tens" place, then on to the "hundreds" place and so on. As students enter the intermediate grades, they begin to learn about numbers to the right of the decimal point (tenths, hundredths, thousandths, etc.).
Place Value vs. Face Value
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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Number Maze Worksheets (Ordering Numbers to 120)
Share these number maze worksheets with your students for a fun way to practice ordering numbers to 120 from least to greatest.
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Ordering Two-Digit Numbers Task Cards (Numbers 1 - 120)
Utilize these Ordering Two-Digit Numbers Task Cards in a unit on comparing and ordering numbers to 120.
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Expanded Notation Classroom Poster
Explore the world of expanded notation with a printable classroom poster that easily explains the concept for students!
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Place Value Spin Activity
Practice identifying the number of tens and ones in two-digit numbers with this fun spin activity.
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4-Digit Number Riddles Cut and Paste
Use these 4-digit number worksheets to help students practice matching numbers up to 10,000 with their word and expanded forms.
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Place Value Worksheets for 2nd Grade - Thanksgiving Math Mazes
Save the turkey and match numbers, words, and expanded forms of numbers with a fun set of printable 2nd-grade Thanksgiving Math maze worksheets.
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Two-Digit Numbers Maze Worksheet
Explore two-digit numbers with this fun maze where students use clues to make their way from the start to the finish.
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Thanksgiving Place Value for 2nd Grade - Interactive
Review 2 and 3-digit place value concepts with an interactive Thanksgiving Math Activity.
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Thanksgiving Turkey Hide! - Place Value Worksheet
Save the Thanksgiving Turkeys and practice modeling numbers in base ten with a printable Thanksgiving Math Worksheet
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Expanded Form Match Up Puzzles
Practice matching standard numbers to their expanded form with your students using this fun, hands-on number puzzle.
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Number of the Day Worksheet
Explore 3, 4, 5, and 6-digit numbers using this number of the day worksheet with your students.
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3-Digit Place Value Cover Up Game
Engage students in understanding place value to the hundreds with this place value card game.
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Find a Friend Expanded Form Worksheet
Explore expanding 2-digit to 6-digit numbers with your students with this expanding form active worksheet.
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Roll and Round Dice Game
Help your student refine their rounding skills with this set of 7 printable math games.
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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 math worksheet designed for 3rd and 4th-grade students.
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Rounding to the Nearest 10 Worksheet
Teach your students to round to the nearest 10 with this printable math worksheet designed for 3rd and 4th grade students.
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Owls Round, TOO Matching Game
Practice rounding through to the nearest hundred thousands place with our set of 36 whole number rounding match-up cards.
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2-Digit Number of the Day - Spiral Review
Review a variety of second-grade math concepts with a Number of the Day slide deck and recording sheet.
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Exploring 2-Digit Place Value - Teaching Slides
Explore 2-digit numbers using place value strategies with an interactive teaching presentation.
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5th Grade Math Review – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Review important 5th-grade math standards with a student-led interactive activity that covers 12 different mathematical concepts.
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5th Grade Math Review – Test Prep Packet
Encourage your students to work through 8 pages of 5th-grade math problems while charting their progress to measure their success.
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Rounding Whole Numbers – Riddle Worksheets
Integrate riddles and math with this set of rounding worksheets.
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Plotting and Comparing Integers – Worksheet
Practice plotting integers on a number line and completing comparison statements with this worksheet.
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Rounding Numbers - Instructional Slide Deck
Teach the basics of rounding numbers with this engaging and animated PowerPoint.
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Rounding Task Cards
Use place value knowledge to round numbers up through the hundred thousands place with this free set of 20 task cards.
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Comparing Three-Digit Numbers – Worksheet
Practice comparing 3-digit numbers with this hands-on worksheet.
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Base-10 Flashcards - Numbers 1–120
Boost number sense with these flashcards that help students identify numbers up to 120 using visual representations of base ten blocks.
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Place Value Work Mat
Practice place value concepts with this work mat for students.
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6-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 6-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
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Flip, Draw, Expand! - Place Value Worksheet (4-Digit Numbers)
Build and expand 4-digit numbers using base-10 blocks to strengthen place value skills.
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Easter Escape Room - 2nd Grade Math Review Game
Use this Easter Escape Room Game for 2nd graders to review place value, number sense, counting money, and other second grade math concepts.
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Thanksgiving Math Worksheets for 2nd Grade - Place Value
Match number, word, and expanded forms of numbers with a fun set of printable Thanksgiving Math worksheets for second grade.