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.
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Number Line Bubble Drop - Ordering Numbers Activity
Practice ordering whole numbers up to 120 on a number line with a fun ocean-themed interactive activity.
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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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Expanded Form Worksheet Pack
Practice expanding 2-digit to 6-digit numbers with this set of 5 worksheets.
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Place Value Review Game — "Place Value Prowl!"
Play this place value review game called “Place Value Prowl” to review place value up to the hundred thousands place.
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Place Value Poster Set — Whole Numbers
Display this colorful place value poster set in your classroom to remind your students of place values to the millions and billions.
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Place Value Work Mat
Practice place value concepts with this work mat for students.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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4-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practice reading and writing 4-digit numbers using expanded form with this printable PDF worksheet.
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Valentine's Day - Number Form Match-Up
Identify three-digit numbers in standard form, word form, expanded form, and in base-ten form with a printable Valentine’s Day Math activity.
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Place Value Charts
Practice place value knowledge up to 6 digits with these blank place value charts.
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Place Value Patterns Worksheet
Use this place value patterns worksheet to help your students analyze patterns in decimal place values out to the thousandths place.
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The Case of the Missing Football – Estimating Products Escape Activity for 4th Grade
Uncover the identity of the thief who stole the football with a printable estimating products escape room activity.
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Flip, Draw, Expand! – Place Value Worksheet (5-Digit Numbers)
Build and expand 5-digit numbers using base-10 blocks to strengthen place value skills.
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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 practice ordering numbers up to 120.
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4-Digit Place Value Game - Interactive Review Activity
Review a variety of 3rd Grade place value standards with an engaging Google Slides Interactive Game!
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Place Value Chart with Decimals
Display this place value anchor chart in your classroom to remind your students of place value from millions to millionths.
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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.
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4-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 thousands place.
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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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Place Value Cards - 10,000; 1,000; 100; 10; 1
Explore and expand 4 and 5-digit numbers with a set pf printable place value cards and suggested activities for small group instruction.
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Rounding Whole Numbers Worksheets
Share these rounding whole numbers worksheets with your students so they can cut-and-paste their way to understanding rounding.
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Ordering Numbers Cut-and-Paste Worksheets
Give students our ordering numbers cut and paste worksheets for a fun way to practice ordering numbers 1 through 100.
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Caterpillar - Ordering Numbers Worksheets
Share these ordering numbers worksheets with your students to help them master sequencing numbers.
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Comparing and Ordering Integers Worksheet Set
Integrate this comparing and ordering integers worksheet set into your unit on positive and negative numbers.
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Place Value Pizza - Math Craft
Demonstrate understanding of the different ways to model three-digit numbers with a fun Place Value Pizza math craft activity.
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Place Value Spin Activity
Practice identifying the number of tens and ones in two-digit numbers with this fun spin activity.
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Expanded Form Task Cards
Help your students explore expanding numbers up to 6-digits with this set of task cards.
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Decomposing 3-Digit Numbers Matching Activity
Help children decompose 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 Ten, Hundred, and Thousand - Worksheet
Review rounding concepts with a worksheet covering rounding to the nearest ten, hundred, and thousand.
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5th Grade Math Review – Test Prep Packet
Encourage your students to work through 8 pages of 5th-grade math problems while charting their progress to measure their success.