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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Place Value Chart with Decimals
Display this place value chart in your classroom to remind your students of place value from millions to millionths.
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Exploring 5-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 38 slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value in the tens of thousands.
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Thousands Place Value Number Expander Template
Explore expanding 4 digit numbers with your students using this number expander template.
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Printable Maths Mats - Graphic Organisers
Practice working on specific math concepts with our set of 5 printable math graphic organisers.
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Expanded Notation Dominoes (4-Digit Numbers)
Use this set of dominoes when learning how to match 4-digit numbers written in standard form and expanded form.
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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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Maths Maze Worksheet Set (Ordering Numbers to 20)
Share this maths maze worksheet set with your students to give them practise ordering numbers from least to greatest.
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Reading and Writing 2-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practise converting expanded form numbers into their standard form with this worksheet.
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Number and Place Value Worksheets - Year 3
16 number worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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Rounding Games for 4th Graders — Race Up the Rounding Ladder!
Challenge your students with one of our many rounding games for 4th graders — Race Up the Rounding Ladder!
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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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Rounding on a Number Line Worksheet Set
Use our rounding on a number line worksheet set to give your students practise using a number line to round numbers up to the hundred thousands place.
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Ordering Numbers Cut-and-Paste Worksheets
Give students our ordering numbers cut-and-paste worksheets for a fun way to practise ordering numbers 1 through 100.
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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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Place Value Wall Display
A place value wall display for the classroom.
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Interactive Rounding Game — "Four Corners"
Play this interactive rounding game with your class or assign it to individual students for a fun way to practise rounding whole numbers.
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I Have, Who Has? - Place Value Maths Game (5-Digit Numbers)
Use a 5-Digit Place Value Maths game to engage your students and practise identifying and reading five digit numbers.
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Rounding Large Numbers Worksheet Set
Share this rounding large numbers worksheet set with your students so they can cut-and-paste their way to understanding rounding.
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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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4-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practise reading and writing 4-digit numbers using expanded form with this printable PDF worksheet.
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Place Value Penguin - Spreadsheet Pixel Art Activity
Practise identifying numbers in word form, expanded form, and standard form with a fun spreadsheet pixel art activity.
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Exploring 4-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 31 slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value to thousands.
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Number Order Puzzles (Ordering Numbers to 1200)
Give your students these number order puzzles for a fun way to sharpen their skills in ordering numbers up to 1200.
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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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Rounding to the Nearest 10 Worksheet
Teach your students to round to the nearest 10 with this printable maths worksheet designed for year 1 and 2 students.
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Place Value to the Thousands Place - Maths Mats
Practise place value concepts, addition and subtraction with a printable set of place value charts.
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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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Partitioning 3-Digit Numbers Matching Activity
Help children partition 3-digit numbers by identifying the place value of hundreds, tens, and ones with this matching activity.
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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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MAB Block Picture Cards
A set of MAB Block picture cards to use when exploring place value and partitioning numbers.
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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 PPT — Rounding Roller Coaster Method
Present this roller coaster-themed rounding numbers PPT to your students to teach or review how to round large numbers.