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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Tens and Ones - Worksheet
A worksheet for students to use when learning about tens and ones.
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Exploring 5-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 38-slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value in the ten thousands place.
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5-Digit Place Value - Assessment
Assess your students' knowledge of place value to the ten thousands place with this open-ended worksheet.
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5-Digit Place Value Card Game - Flip It!
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of place value to the ten thousands place.
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Numbers in Standard and Word Form - Worksheet
A worksheet to practice writing numbers in standard and word form.
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Exploring 4-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 31-slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value to the thousands place.
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4-Digit Place Value Card Game - Flip It!
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of place value to the thousands place.
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5-Digit Place Value Warm-Up - Interactive PowerPoint
An engaging 44-slide interactive PowerPoint to use when learning about place value to 5-digits.
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Math Information Sheet for Parents - Place Value
An information sheet for parents to use when assisting children with place value at home.
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Counting Crocodiles 1–10 - Worksheet
A worksheet to practice one-to-one correspondence.
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Numeral Expander for 5-Digit Numbers
A resource to help reinforce place value and writing 5-digit numbers in expanded form.
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Place Value Charts
Practice place value knowledge up to 6 digits with these blank place value charts.
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Penny's Place Value Puzzle
A worksheet to practice place value to the hundreds.
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5-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 5-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
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4-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 4-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
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What's My Card? Triple-Digit Board Game
A set of cards to be used in a Guess Who? Board Game for students to consolidate their knowledge of triple-digit numbers.
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What's My Card? Double-Digit Board Game
A set of cards to be used in a Guess Who? Board Game for students to consolidate their knowledge of double-digit numbers.
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Value Your Place Active Learning
A whole class active game that encourages learning through a physical setting.
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Multiplying by 1,000 Worksheet
A worksheet for students to complete when learning how to multiply by 1,000.
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Multiplying and Dividing By 1,000 Poster
A set of posters to display in the classroom when learning to multiply and divide by 1,000.
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Percy's Place Value Puzzle
A worksheet to use to practice place value to the thousands place.
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Number Talks Teaching Resource Pack - Grade 3
A collection of number talks teaching resources that support meaningful and highly engaging conversations in the mathematics classroom.
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Number Talks Teaching Resource Pack - Grade 2
A collection of number talks teaching resources that support meaningful and highly engaging conversations in the mathematics classroom.
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Number Talks Teaching Resource Pack - Grade 1
A collection of number talks teaching resources that support meaningful and highly engaging conversations in the mathematics classroom.
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Interactive Base-10 Blocks
Explore an interactive base 10 block manipulator tool made for your elementary classroom! Teach place value, help students visualize problems, and more!
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Math Resource Pack for Parents - Place Value
A comprehensive resource pack for parents to help Grade 1 and Grade 2 children with place value.
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Assessment – Representing 3-Digit Numbers
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate an understanding of 3-digit place value.
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Exploring 3-Digit Place Value Unit Plan
This mathematics unit addresses a range of 3-digit place value number concepts involving identifying, sequencing, and representing numbers.
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Exploring 2-Digit Place Value Unit Plan
This mathematics unit addresses a range of 2-digit place value number concepts involving identifying, sequencing, and representing.
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Exploring 5-Digit Place Value Unit Plan
This Mathematics unit addresses a range of place value concepts involving 5-digit numbers.
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Exploring Numbers Unit Plan
This Mathematics unit addresses a range of number concepts involving identifying, sequencing and representing.
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Exploring 4-Digit Place Value Unit Plan
This Mathematics unit addresses a range of place value concepts involving 4-digit numbers.