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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4-Digit Expanded Form Worksheet
Practice using expanded form up to the thousands place with this 1-page worksheet.
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2-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 tens place.
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Greater/Less Than Crocodile Posters
Greater and less than can be easily confused, but Snappy uses visual representation to make it all so much clearer.
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QR Code 3-Digit Place Value Scavenger Hunt
A fun activity where students scan QR codes to go on a 3-digit scavenger hunt in the classroom.
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Place Value War - Number Game
A fun 3-digit place value game for students to play in the classroom.
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3-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 3-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
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Tens and Ones - Worksheet
A worksheet for students to use when learning about tens and ones.
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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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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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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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2-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 2-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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Place Value Castle Activity
Help students consolidate their understanding of hundreds, tens and ones with this fun place value castle activity.
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Which Is More? Counting Card Game
Compare and order numbers to 20 with this set of counting cards.
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Pizza Math Fact Fluency Tracker
Motivate and inspire students to learn their math facts with printable math fact fluency trackers.
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3-Digit Number Expander Template (Peacock)
Explore 3-digit numbers with this cute foldable peacock number expander for your students.
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3-Digit Number Expander Template (Bat)
Explore 3-digit numbers with this cute foldable bat number expander for your students.
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3-Digit Interactive Clip Cards
Practice knowledge of 3-Digit numbers with this interactive clip card resource.
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4-Digit Number Digital Game
Play a game show with your students to get them practising 4-digit numbers in standard form, expanded form, plus more!
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Christmas Color By Number - One More or Less
Practice finding numbers that are one more and one less than with a printable Christmas color-by-number worksheet.
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Santa's Mix-Up - Place Value & Expanded Form Math Worksheets
Add some Christmas spirit to your place value lesson plans with printable Christmas place value worksheets for 2nd graders.
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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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Double Digit Numbers Mystery Worksheet
Explore double digit place value with this fun clue based mystery worksheet for your students.
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2-Digit in Expanded Form Interactive Activity
Engage students in showing their knowledge of converting double digit numbers into their expanded form with this interactive activity.
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Reading and Writing Double Digit Numbers Interactive Activity
Get students practicing their knowledge of converting standard form numbers to expanded form with this engaging interactive activity.
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2-Digit Numbers Interactive Activity
Explore double digit numbers in a variety of different scenarios with this engaging interactive activity for your classroom.
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Reading and Writing Double Digit Numbers Flipbook
Engage students in learning to read and write double digit numbers with this flipbook.
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Reading and Writing 2-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practice converting expanded form numbers into their standard form with this worksheet.
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Two-Digit Expanded Form Race-Themed Worksheet
Race through identifying the standard form of 2-digit numbers in expanded form with this fun race-themed worksheet.
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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.