Place Value Teaching Resources
Browse place value charts, printable worksheets, games and more teaching resources created by teachers, for teachers like you.
This collection of curriculum-aligned and editable 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 math 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?
In math, 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, 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 math 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 3,245:
- 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 = 3,245.
Why Is Place Value Important?
Place value is an important concept for elementary 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 math 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 math concept is the place value chart! This visual teaching tool can be used to represent and organize numbers based on their value and position in a given number.
How to Use a Place Value Chart
A place value chart is typically divided into columns representing the different powers of 10 in our number system. Each column is labeled 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 corresponding 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.
Students can place a particular number in their place value chart, determine its value, and then figure out two-digit, three-digit, four-digit, and larger numbers.
To read a place value chart, students work their way left or right. For example, if you start from the "ones" place, you can go left one space to the "tens" place, then on to the "hundreds" place and so on. As students enter the intermediate grades, they begin to learn about numbers to the right of the decimal point (tenths, hundredths, thousandths, etc.).
Place Value vs. Face Value
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
Ordering Numbers Worksheets- Halloween Cut and Paste
Share these ordering numbers worksheets with your students for some spook-tacular Halloween fun!
- Free Plan
Place Value Charts — Printable Math Mats
Practice place value concepts, addition, and subtraction with a printable set of free place value charts.
- Plus Plan
Halloween Board Game - 2nd Grade Place Value
Review number forms and place value concepts with a Halloween Board Game!
- Plus Plan
3-Digit Number Expander Template (Bat)
Explore 3-digit numbers with this cute foldable bat number expander for your students.
- Plus Plan
Ordering and Comparing Numbers Games — Escape the Robot Invasion!
Play ordering and comparing numbers games like this escape room to engage and educate at the same time.
- Free Plan
Place Value Slider Set
Break out this place value slider set for a hands-on way to demonstrate multiplying and dividing whole numbers and decimals by powers of ten.
- Plus Plan
Comparing Decimals Using Models and Place Value — Teaching Slides
Teach comparing decimals using models and place value with these teaching slides that feature decimals represented with money, base 10 blocks, and 100s grids.
- 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.
- Free Plan
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!
- Plus Plan
Rounding to 10, 100, and 1,000 Worksheet - Halloween Color-By-Number
Round each number to the place of the underlined digit with a fun Halloween color-by-number worksheet.
- Plus Plan
2-Digit Number of the Day - Spiral Review
Review a variety of second-grade math concepts with a Number of the Day slide deck and recording sheet.
- Plus Plan
Rounding Anchor Charts - Using a Vertical Number Line
Display how to round numbers to different places using a vertical number line with a set of posters.
- Free Plan
Flip, Draw, Expand! – Place Value Worksheet (5-Digit Numbers)
Build and expand 5-digit numbers using base-10 blocks to strengthen place value skills.
- Free Plan
Roll It, Make It, Expand It! - Place Value Worksheet
A worksheet for students to use when learning to write two-digit numbers in expanded form.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Banner - Billions to Thousandths
A banner that displays extended place value.
- Free Plan
Order Numbers From Least to Greatest Task Cards (Numbers 1 - 20)
Order numbers from least to greatest with these task cards for numbers 1 - 20.
- Free Plan
4-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practice reading and writing 4-digit numbers using expanded form with this printable PDF worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Thanksgiving Color By Number Worksheet - 2nd Grade Place Value
Have some Thanksgiving Math fun with a printable Thanksgiving Color By Number worksheet to practice standard, expanded, word, and base ten forms.
- Plus Plan
Using Greater Than and Less Than Symbols - Halloween Worksheet
Practice using the greater than, less than, and equal to symbols to compare two-digit numbers with a fun Halloween worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Expanded Form Dominoes (4-Digit Numbers)
Use this set of dominoes when learning how to match 4-digit numbers written in standard form and expanded form.
- Plus Plan
Flip, Draw, Expand! – Place Value Worksheet (3-Digit Numbers)
A worksheet to use when practicing place value with 3-digit numbers.
- Free Plan
Representing Two-Digit Numbers - Place Value Worksheet
A set of worksheets for students to use when learning about place value and the different way two-digit numbers can be represented.
- Plus Plan
Ordering and Comparing Decimals With Models Worksheet Set
Utilize this ordering and comparing decimals with models worksheet set to introduce your students to multiple decimal representations.
- Plus Plan
Place Value Color by Number Worksheets
Share these place value color by number worksheets with your students for a fun way to review place value up to the hundred thousands place.
- Plus Plan
Rounding Numbers Activity (Escape Room)
Play our rounding numbers activity in your classroom to engage students as they practice and extend their rounding and critical thinking skills.
- Plus Plan
Ordering Numbers Kindergarten and 1st Grade Activity
Share this ordering numbers kindergarten and 1st grade activity with your students to give them practice ordering numbers 0 to 20 or 0 to 120.
- Free Plan
2-Digit Numbers in Expanded Form Worksheet
Explore two-digit numbers in standard form and expanded form with this set of two cut-and-paste style worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Expanded Form Task Cards
Help your students explore expanding numbers up to 6-digits with this set of task cards.
- Free Plan
Find a Friend Expanded Form Worksheet
Explore expanding 2-digit to 6-digit numbers with your students with this expanding form active worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Math Graphic Organizers - Printable Work Mats
Practice working on specific math concepts with our set of 5 printable math graphic organizers.
- Plus Plan
Rounding on Number Lines - Interactive Mystery Picture
Karate chop those rounding standards with a fun Rounding on a Number Line Mystery Reveal activity.
- Plus Plan
Vertical Number Line - Rounding Worksheets
Use a vertical number line to round whole numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, and ten thousand with a set of rounding worksheets.