Understanding place value is like cracking a secret code in the world of math – crucial yet sometimes tricky for students. That is why we need to provide quality visuals and engaging lessons for students to immerse themselves in place value – particularly at the beginning of the year.

 

We all know as teachers, it is about building a strong foundation. Understanding place value lays the groundwork for confident learners and will set students up for a year of Maths success.

 

If you’re on a mission to teach kids all about place value, you’re in the right place. In this blog post, we’re diving into essential resources and visuals that’ll help kids understand place value better (and enjoy the process).

 

Let’s do it:

1. A Classroom Visual – Place Value Posters

We are big advocates for having a place value display up in your classroom all year round. It is something the students can reference while learning.

These posters include decimals and whole numbers, ranging from thousandths to a billions – so they can be used across different age groups.

We like to begin by displaying the posters according to the numbers students are learning about, and add to the display as the year progresses. For example, in Grade 3, we only start by revealing the ones up to the thousands, as not to overwhelm or confuse students.

Older grades may use more elements of the resource (such as the x10 cards or the power of ten cards), and we have created it so you can add and take away elements as your students need it.

 

“My students use our Place Value display every day in math. It has been a life saver because instead of asking me for help, they help themselves!” Kaleigh

Find these Place Value Posters here. 

 

2. Individual Support – Desk Charts

A communal display is a great support for students but having an individual chart on their desks for them to refer to while learning is another step in visually supporting your students.

 

By the time children get to the age where they are diving into the Place Value system, we don’t always have name tags on their desks. This is a wonderful alternative and will be a go-to support resource for students to use during Maths lessons.

“These are such wonderful visuals for students! Place value can be abstract for some and this really helps!” Tammy R

Find our Place Value Desk Charts here. 

 

3. Piecing it Together – Place Value Chart Craft

This is a hands-on craft activity designed to help students grasp the complexities of the number system. It will have students engaged and actively piecing together the place value system and how it works.

 

Students need to cut, paste and label each place value column, from decimals like thousandths and hundredths all the way through to billions (varied options are included to help you differentiate and cater for your student’s level).

“This activity is a must” Valerie

Find the Place Value House craft here.

 

4.Applying the Learning – Number of the Day

Once your students have got visual understanding of Place Value, it is time to apply that knowledge to numbers.

 

We love Number of the Day for that reason. It is the perfect way to implement place value knowledge using numbers of any size.

 

You can include Number of the Day as a daily warmup, independent task or even an assessment.

“My students enjoyed using this in during our daily number corner time. It was engaging and held their attention. Thank you!” Kelly

Find our Number of the Day templates here.

“This resource was a great help in students understanding and master various place value skills. The multiple version meant we could adjust through out the year to meet our new learning needs.” Kristin

 

5. Consolidation – Place Value Games

Finally, games are a fun way to build proficiency and fluency in Maths. Including a range of games for students to put their knowledge into practice is a way to consolidate that Place Value understanding. We love this FREE place value war game.

Get your copy here.

 

Don’t limit these games to the beginning of the year, we think they are great to be included all year round.

View this game here.

 

Teaching our students about the place value system and how numbers work is often the first thing we do as we embark on the new school year. It is this concept that holds the key to understanding numbers as well as supporting learning in other Maths skills. We hope these suggestions on how to support your students when learning about Place Value have been helpful.

 

Love these ideas? Grab our go-to Place Value Bundle here.

 

What to read next:

A Must Have Bulletin Board Display

3 Simple Place Value Activities

How to Teach Number Sense Well