Place value is foundational. If a child doesn't understand that 24 = 2 tens and 4 ones, they'll struggle with addition, subtraction, and all future maths. It must be concrete before abstract.
Why Place Value Matters
Bundles of Sticks
Bundle 10 sticks together with a rubber band. This IS a ten. Loose sticks are ones. "I have 3 bundles and 5 sticks. How many altogether?" Children see and manipulate the structure of place value.
Base-10 Blocks (or DIY)
Plastic base-10 blocks are expensive. Make them: unit cubes, rods of 10, plates of 100. Or use: MAB blocks, bundled cotton buds, Unifix cubes in towers of 10.
Children physically exchange 10 ones for 1 ten, 10 tens for 1 hundred. "I have 13 ones. I can exchange 10 ones for this ten rod. Now I have 1 ten and 3 ones."
Place Value Charts
Hundreds | Tens | Ones
Place objects in the chart. "This number has 2 hundreds, 4 tens, and 7 ones. It's 247." Visual, clear, tied to symbol.
Money
Dollars (tens, or hundreds) and cents (ones) teach place value in a real context. "I have 3 dollars and 6 cents. That's 3 tens and 6 ones, or 36 cents."
Coin Exchange Games
Students trade coins or counters for larger denominations. "I have 10 pennies. I can trade them for 1 dime." Builds understanding of grouping and value.
Avoid Too-Early Symbolism
Spend weeks on concrete manipulatives before asking students to write numerals. Rushing to symbols before understanding causes confusion that lingers.
