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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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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What's My Card? Triple-Digit Board Game
Guess the mystery 3 digit numbers by asking your opponent a series of elimination questions.
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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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Reading and Writing Double Digit Numbers Interactive Activity
Get students practising their knowledge of converting standard form numbers to expanded form with this engaging interactive activity.
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Comparing Numbers-Halloween Word Problems
Practise comparing numbers using MAB blocks with a Halloween Maths word problem worksheet.
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Using Greater Than - Less Than Symbols - Halloween Worksheet
Practise using the greater than, less than, and equal to symbols to compare two-digit numbers with a fun Halloween worksheet.
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Rounding Numbers on Vertical Number Lines Matching Activity
Practise rounding to the nearest ten and hundred on a vertical number line with this set of 36 match-up cards.
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Rounding on Number Lines Interactive Mystery Picture Activity
Karate chop those rounding standards with a fun Rounding on a Number Line Mystery Reveal activity.
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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.
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Rounding Numbers to the Thousands Place Task Cards
Teach students to round numbers up through the thousands place with a set of 24 task cards.
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Valentine's Day - Number Form Match-Up
Identify three-digit numbers in standard form, word form, expanded form, and in MAB form with a printable Valentine’s Day Maths activity.
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Interactive MAB Blocks Lab
Explore an interactive MAB block manipulator tool made for your primary classroom! Teach place value, help students visualise problems and more!
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Maths Resource Pack for Parents - Place Value
A comprehensive resource pack for parents and carers to help Foundation to Year 2 children with place value.
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Exploring 5-Digit Place Value Unit Plan
This Mathematics unit addresses a range of place value concepts involving 5-digit numbers.
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Which Place?
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Exploring Place Value to 10 000
A 60 minute lesson in which students will further explore place value in the thousands.
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2-Digit Place Value
A 60 minute lesson in which students will understand that 2-digit numbers are made up of tens and ones.
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Partitioning Numbers to 10 000
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate how place value can be used to partition numbers into smaller parts.
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Comparing and Ordering Numbers
A 60 minute lesson in which students will compare and order 4-digit numbers.
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Exploring 4-Digit Place Value - Assessment
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate an understanding of place value in the thousands.
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Rounding Numbers to 10 and 100
A 60 minute lesson in which students will round 4-digit numbers to the nearest 10 and 100.
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Partitioning and Expanding 3-Digit Numbers
A 60 minute lesson in which students will understand how 3-digit numbers can be partitioned.
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3-Digit Place Value
A 60 minute lesson in which students will understand that 3-digit numbers are made up of hundreds, tens and ones.
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Partitioning Numbers Beyond 10 000
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate how place value can be used to partition numbers into smaller parts.
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Beyond 10 000
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Exploring 5-Digit Place Value
A 60 minute lesson in which students will further explore place value in the tens of thousands.
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Assessment – Representing 3-Digit Numbers
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate an understanding of 3-digit place value.
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Exploring 5-Digit Place Value - Assessment
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate an understanding of place value in the tens of thousands.
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Rounding Numbers to 10, 100 and 1000
A 60 minute lesson in which students will round 5-digit numbers to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000.
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Expanding Numbers Beyond 10 000
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate how place value can be used to expand numbers.
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Comparing and Ordering Beyond 10 000
A 60 minute lesson in which students will compare and order 5-digit numbers.
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Counting Collections in the Hundreds
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore ways to count collections in the hundreds more efficiently.