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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4-Digit Numbers Worksheet
Practice reading and writing 4-digit numbers with this printable PDF worksheet.
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Exploring 2-Digit Place Value - Teaching Slides
Explore 2-digit numbers using place value strategies with an interactive teaching presentation.
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Number of the Day Worksheet
Explore numbers using this number of the day worksheet with your students.
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Lucky's Loot - Digital St. Patrick's Day Math Activity
Save time lesson planning with a St. Patrick's Day Digital Math Activity that reviews multiple math concepts at once!
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Rounding Task Cards
Use place value knowledge to round numbers up through the hundred thousands place with this free set of 20 task cards.
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6-Digit Number of the Day Worksheet
A 6-digit place value worksheet to represent the number of the day in different ways.
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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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Caterpillar Ordering Numbers Worksheet - Dot Day Math Activity
Practice number sequencing and add to your collection of Dot Day activities with a printable caterpillar number-ordering worksheet.
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Let's Compare! Task Cards
Practice comparing 2-digit numbers with this set of 20 task cards.
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5th Grade Math Review – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Review important 5th-grade math standards with a student-led interactive activity that covers 12 different mathematical concepts.
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Place Value Chart - Ten Thousands Place
Download this blank place value chart to use in the classroom when teaching students about five-digit numbers.
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Find a Friend Expanded Form Worksheet
Explore expanding 2-digit to 6-digit numbers with your students with this expanding form active worksheet.
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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.
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Tens and Ones - Worksheet
A worksheet for students to use when learning about tens and ones.
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Sequencing Integers – Task Cards
Demonstrate an understanding of positive and negative numbers by ordering integers with this set of 24 task cards.
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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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The Place Value Structure Challenge
A hands-on activity to use in the classroom when assessing 3-digit place value.
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Hundreds Place Value Number Expander Template
A resource to help reinforce place value and writing 3-digit numbers in expanded form.
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Comparing Three-Digit Numbers – Worksheet
Practice comparing 3-digit numbers with this hands-on worksheet.
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Exploring 3-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 15 page editable PowerPoint to use in the classroom when introducing 3-digit place value.
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Place Value Castle
A fun place value activity to help students review their understanding of hundreds, tens, and ones.
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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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Exploring 5-Digit Place Value PowerPoint
A 38-slide PowerPoint template to use when exploring place value in the ten thousands place.
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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?'
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Ten More, Ten Less Within 100 - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Practice adding and subtracting 10 from given numbers within 100 in this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Place Value Charts — Printable Math Mats
Practice place value concepts, addition, and subtraction with a printable set of free place value charts.
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Rounding on Number Lines - Interactive Mystery Picture
Karate chop those rounding standards with a fun Rounding on a Number Line Mystery Reveal activity.
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Base-10 Flashcards - Numbers 1–120
A set of Base-10 flashcards for the numbers 1–120.
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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.
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Place Value Bulletin Board
Unlock place value understanding with this bulletin board for back-to-school that can remain on the wall all year long!
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Counting Collections in the Hundreds PowerPoint
A 15-page editable PowerPoint to use in the classroom when exploring efficient ways of counting collections in the hundreds.
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Place Value Spin
A fun place value activity for students to use in the classroom when identifying the number of 'tens' and 'ones' in two-digit numbers.