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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Number and Place Value Worksheets - Year 4
14 number and place value worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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Percy's Place Value Puzzle
A worksheet to use to consolidate student understanding of place value to the thousands.
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Dividing by Powers of 10 Worksheet Set
Utilise this dividing by powers of 10 worksheet set to give your students practise dividing whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000.
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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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Rounding PPT — "Rounding With Reasoning"
Use this engaging rounding PPT to teach your students to round with reasoning — not rules!
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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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Exploring 3-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
Explore place value concepts related to 3-digit numbers with an engaging, interactive teaching slide deck.
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Place Value Spin Activity
Practise identifying the number of 'tens' and 'ones' in two-digit numbers with this fun spin activity.
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Place Value Bingo Game Numbers Up to 1 000 000
Practise place value knowledge in numbers up to 1 000 000 with this set of bingo cards.
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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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Roll and Expand Numbers Worksheet Pack
Explore place value with you rstudents using this set of levelled expanding numbers worksheets.
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3-Digit Number Expander Template (Peacock)
A foldable peacock-themed number expander for students to record 3-digit place value.
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3-Digit Number Forms Worksheet
Help students practise their knowledge of 3-digit numbers with this place value worksheet that covers MAB blocks, standard form, and expanded form.
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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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Comparing Three-digit Numbers – Worksheet
Practise comparing three-digit numbers with this hands-on worksheet.
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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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0-9 Digit Cards
A set of 0-9 digit cards to be used for numeracy games in the classroom.
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3-Digit Roll It, Make It, Expand It! - Place Value Worksheet
A worksheet for students to use when learning about the place value of three-digit numbers.
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What's My Card? Double-Digit Board Game
Guess the mystery 2 digit numbers by asking your opponent a series of elimination questions.
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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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MAB Blocks Place Value Chart
Utilise this MAB blocks place value chart for decimals to introduce decimal place values with an engaging, hands-on approach.
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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 Card Game (3-Digit Numbers)
Play an exciting I Have, Who Has? Place Value Game to help your students practise their skills with reading and writing three-digit numbers.
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Early Learning Maths Activity (Ordering Numbers)
Share this early learning maths activity with your students to give them practise ordering numbers 0 to 20 or 0 to 120.
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Ordering Large Numbers Sorting Activity
Practise ordering large numbers with this easy-to-prepare sorting activity.
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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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Ordering Two-Digit Numbers Task Cards (Numbers 1 - 120)
Utilise these Ordering Two-Digit Numbers Task Cards in a unit on comparing and ordering numbers to 120.
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Place Value Pizza - Maths Craft
Demonstrate understanding of the different ways to model three-digit numbers with a fun Place Value Pizza maths craft activity.
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4-Digit Place Value Game - Interactive Activity
Consolidate knowledge of Year 3 place value concepts with an interactive 4-Digit Place Value Game.
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Building 2-Digit Numbers Dice Game
Teach your students about place value in two-digit numbers with this engaging dice game featuring Base 10 blocks.
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Partitioning 2-Digit Numbers Match-Up Activity
Help children partition 2-digit numbers by identifying the place value of the tens and ones with this matching activity.
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Daily Spiral Maths Worksheet (3-4)
Review a variety of place value and number sense standards with a daily spiral maths review worksheet.