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.
- Plus Plan
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 tens of thousands.
- Plus Plan
2 Digit Place Value Puzzles
Teach students the different representations of 2-digit numbers with this place value puzzle.
- Free Plan
Tens and Ones 2-Digit Place Value Mat
Build two-digit numbers and improve place value skills with a printable tens and ones math mat.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Bingo Game – Numbers 0–1000
Thirty-two different bingo cards using place value to 1000.
- Plus Plan
Tens and Ones - MAB Worksheet
A numeracy worksheet for students to use when learning about tens and ones.
- Plus Plan
Exploring 5-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 38 slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value in the tens of thousands.
- Plus Plan
Exploring 4-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 31 slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value to thousands.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Numbers Interactive Activity
Practise knowledge of 3-digit numbers with this interactive activity exploring standard form, expanded form, word form and base ten form.
- Plus Plan
Expanded Form Worksheet Pack
Practise expanding 2-digit to 6-digit numbers with this set of 5 worksheets.
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has? 4 Digit Place Value Game
Explore numbers up to 4-digits with this fun whole class place value game of 'I have, Who Has?'
- Free Plan
Place Value to the Thousands Place - Maths Mats
Practise place value concepts, addition and subtraction with a printable set of place value charts.
- Plus Plan
Two-Digit Number Line - Differentiated Place Value Activities
Practise place value concepts, addition and subtraction, and using a number line with a differentiated place value activity.
- Free Plan
4-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 4-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Chart - Tens of Thousands
A blank place value chart to use when exploring five-digit numbers.
- Plus Plan
Number and Place Value Worksheets - Year 4
14 number and place value worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
- Plus Plan
Number and Place Value Worksheets - Foundation
10 number and place value worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
- Plus Plan
Roll and Expand Numbers Worksheet Pack
Explore place value with you rstudents using this set of levelled expanding numbers worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Caterpillar Ordering Numbers Worksheet - Dot Day Activity
A number sequencing activity with 3 different levels of complexity.
- Free Plan
2-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 2-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
- Plus Plan
Number Talks - Number Sense Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 24 task cards.
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has? Game - Place Value (5-Digit Numbers)
A whole-class game to consolidate students' understanding of place value.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Castle
A fun place value activity to help students consolidate their understanding of hundreds, tens and ones.
- Plus Plan
Random Numbers MAB Flashcards 100-10000
A set of 40 MAB flashcards of random numbers between 100 and 10000.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Number Form Sorting Activity
Engage with different forms of 3-digit numbers with this sorting activity.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Place Value Mini-Book
Explore place value in 3-digit numbers with this place value mini-book.
- Free Plan
How to Write 2-Digit and 3-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Explore how to represent number values in standard form, word form, expanded form, and picture form with this multipurpose place value worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Worksheet Set — Rounding Using a Vertical Number Line
Use a vertical number line to round whole numbers to the tens, hundreds, and thousands place with a pack of differentiated rounding worksheets.
- Free Plan
Rounding Numbers – Maths Mazes
Round numbers to various places while finding your way through this set of 5 maths mazes.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Wall Display
A place value wall display for the classroom.
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has? Game – Place Value (2-Digit Numbers)
A whole-class game to consolidate students' understanding of place value.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Place Value Cover Up Game
Engage students in understanding place value to the hundreds with this place value card game.
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Number Expander Template (Bat)
Explore 3-digit numbers with this cute foldable bat number expander for your students.