place value math read alouds

• Aug 24, 2021

5 Math Picture Books about Place Value

Updated: Apr 13, 2022

Do you need a great read-aloud to teach your upper elementary students place value? These math picture books are wonderful because they offer a great story and can also help facilitate math discussions with your upper elementary class! Place value books are also so important to help students relate large numbers to their life and be able to visualize them! Here are my top five math books to teach place value for 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students. Click on the links below to see the books on Amazon (affiliate links).

1. How Much Is A Million?

Written by David M Schwartz and Illustrated by Steven Kellogg

Do your students need help visualizing how much a million is? This book is perfect for that! I always use this book to introduce larger numbers and millions. It gives students concrete examples of how big a million is.

Great For : Introduction to large numbers, specifically millions and billions.

Questions to Ask Your Students : What were you most surprised about with larger numbers? How do you think the author figured out those facts? Why do we need the numbers in the millions and billions? Where do you see large numbers in your life?

2. A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars

Written By Seth Fishman Illustrated by Isabel Greenberg

This book talks about a whole lot of large numbers that are on our planet! I love this book because it is a great introduction to large numbers, and also gives them some real-life connections. For example, the book literally tells students how many trillion trees are on our earth! Another bonus for this book is that it shows these large numbers sometimes in word form and also in number form.

Great For: Introduction to large numbers, relating large numbers to real-life

Questions to Ask Your Students: What are some large numbers that you wonder about? What large numbers surprised you in this book? How could we go about finding out how much of something there is? Why are there large numbers?

3. A Place For Zero

Written by Angeline Sparanga LoPresti and Illustrated by Phyllis Hornung

This book is about the number zero who is trying to figure out where he fits in his number kingdom! This book has some great math puns in it, and is a wonderful introduction to the number zero.

Great For: Introducing Zero as a place holder, 10 Digits, Basic place value.

Questions to Ask Your Students: How do we use zero in place value? Why is it important to have the number zero? What would happen if we did not have a number zero in our number system?

4. Place Value

Written By: David A Adler Illustrated By: Edward Miller

This book is great for introducing place value. I love this book because it shows numbers in a place value chart, which can be directly linked to your lessons! It also goes over very specific math terms and concepts like why we use a comma when writing a large number.

Great For: Parts of Place Value, Introduction to Place Value Charts

Questions to Ask Your Students: Why do we use a comma? Why do we use a decimal point? What does a place value chart show?

5. Millions, Billions, & Trillions

Written by: David Adler Illustrated by: Edward Miller

This book is another great choice to give students a visual of large numbers like millions and billions. My students really like this book because it relates large numbers to things like ice cream sundaes and strands of hair.

Questions to Ask Your Students: What are some large numbers that you wonder about? What large number surprised you in this book? How could we go about finding out how much of something there is? Why are there large numbers?

Need an activity to keep students engaged? Check out my math coloring books ! They are great for students to work on in between activities or when they first come into the classroom! Need something for that dreaded indoor recess the first week? That would work great for that also!

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The Best Books to Teach Place Value and Large Numbers

It’s time for another post in my Teaching with Math Story Books series! While I love exploring math concepts through stories, finding just the right books to do that can be a challenge. I have already shared some ways that math books can be used to teach math, as well as my favorite books for teaching addition and subtraction . Today, I want to share resources for another important math concept: place value . As I’ve shared before, there may be other great books out there, so don’t stop here, but hopefully this gives you a great place to start as you look for the best books to teach place value and large numbers .

* Please Note : Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure policy here .*

I will be referring to these books as either tier 1, 2 or 3, so if you missed the explanation in the previous post , here it is again:

• Tier one books are written specifically to teach a math concept. They may or may not have a story line.
• Tier two books have an engaging plot and weave math into the story. While the connection to math is fairly obvious, the story could stand on it’s own.
• Tier three books are books that are not necessarily written to focus on a specific math skill, but could easily be used to make connections to math.

The Best Books to Teach Place Value and Large Numbers:

To understand numbers (no matter how small or large), kids need to understand that the place of each digit matters . For example, in the number 356, the 3 does not represent the number 3 but rather, the number 300.

It’s also important to understand the difference a zero can make when it changes places. For example, 305 is not the same as 350, etc.

So included in this list are some books for understanding zero, as well as the difference between ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.

Zero is the Leaves On the Tree (tier 1) by Betsy Franco is a fun book to start with. This explores the meaning of zero as none and includes lots of real life examples and beautiful pictures.

Zero the Hero (tier 2) by Joan Holub is a fun and engaging tale of the importance of the number zero. This book will teach the necessity of zero in building tens and hundreds, as well as what happens when you use zero in math operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It also touches on roman numerals.

Related: 6 Benefits of Teaching Your Kids Roman Numerals.

A Place for Zero (tier 2) by Angeline Sparagna LoPresti is a similar story, but focuses more on place value specifically. It also teaches addition and multiplication with zero, and includes lots of great vocabulary.

Zero: Is it Something? Is it Nothing? (tier 1) by Claudia Zaslavsky is a helpful book to combine all the things kids learn about the number zero . For instance, when zero means none versus holding a place in larger numbers. It covers zero in math operations and rounding, as well as measurement. It also includes some fun riddles to help kids think about zero and large numbers.

Sir Cumference and All the King’s Tens (tier 2) by Cindy Neuschwander is definitely a book you will want to include as you explore place value. This fun tale will help kids understand the difference between ones, tens and hundreds and provides helpful visuals .

( Learn more about the book and grab FREE lessons to use with it here! )

Earth Day-Hooray! (tier 2) by Stuart Murphy is another fun story for kids that is clearly designed to teach place value . Great for a review as you celebrate Earth Day (in April) or any time of the year as you explore place value!

Penguin Place Value (tier 1) by Kathleen Stone is a really cute book that would be great for introducing the idea of palce value to kindergarten or first graders. The rhyme is fun, and I think kids will appreciate the hand drawn pictures.

Big Numbers (tier 1) by Edward Packard is a book that draws kids in with it’s fun comic book like graphics. This book looks at big numbers and compares them. It also provides various representations of the large numbers such as using words and exponents . I also like how he explains large numbers in terms of place value. (For example, 1 billion is a thousand million).

A Million Dots (tier 1) by Andrew Clements is another look at large numbers and over the course of the book includes 1 million dots. I loved this book because it has fun pictures, as well as fascinating facts involving large numbers, like “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used more than 416,000 words to tell forty-six of the best adventures of Sherlock Holmes.” (And I will admit that it took longer to reach 1 million dots than I was expecting!) You could use this book to practice reading large numbers , or to re-write each number in expanded form .

How Much is a Million? (tier 1) by David Schwartz is another great book for thinking about large numbers. It includes lots of fun examples of what a million or billion of something would look like. It also includes further explanations of the math used at the end of the book.

I hope this has given you some great ideas and starting points as you seek to explain the role of zero in place value , as well as seeing and understanding really big numbers !

Are there any books that you would add to this list? Share in the comments!

And don’t miss the rest of the posts in this series:

• 5 Simple Ways to Teach with Math Story Books
• The Best Books to Teach Addition and Subtraction

More fun Place Value Learning Ideas:

• Equal or Not: Place Value Sort
• Place Value Puzzles
• Build an Ice Cream Sundae Place Value Set

Free Printable Book Lists!

Did you find this list helpful? Then you'll love the handy printable version I've made! Just print out the book list, take it to the library, and check them off as you read them. Plus, this set includes 2 pages of books not included in my blog series! That's 8 lists of engaging math stories in all.

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I read “On Beyond a Million” to my 4 and 6 year olds who loved it. It starts with a big pile of popcorn and a nutty teacher who “power counts.” Ever since, my 4-yr-old keeps mentioning infinity is not a number 🙂

OH fun! I love that your kids have enjoyed it and are engaged in math learning! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!

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The Best Place Value Books to Add to Your Library

What’s better than a good read aloud? A read aloud that can help illustrate complex math concepts! Today I want to share some of my all-time favorite picture books to teach place value. From understanding the importance of zero to grouping tens, these place value books are sure to be an awesome addition to your library!

The place value books below are intended for students in first and second grade, but some could be easily used as a jumping-off place for older students. You can click on any of the book titles below for an Amazon affiliate link, where you can find a full summary and reviews of each book.  If you happen to order a book from the link provided, I earn a small percentage of that sale, which goes towards the maintenance of my blog.

A Fair Bear Share by Stuart J. Murphy

This is a great introduction to place value! Mama bear is looking to make her famous pie, and her little cubs go out in search of nuts, berries, and seeds to help. There are wonderful opportunities to count how many each bear collects (which is broken down into tens and ones), and then how to add those groups together.

I love that this book offers so many access points. For some students, the focus will be understanding how to place objects into groups of tens and ones, and then how place value supports the way we read and write those numbers.

Other students may be ready to start thinking about adding numbers together and how we reorganize ones into tens to regroup. This step is highly scaffolded with visuals and it can be a great extension for students. Regardless of where students are in their understanding, they can get something from this book!

Place Value by David A. Adler

I simply love this place value book! Unlike the rest, it is an informational text instead of a “math story.” First, it does an incredible job of making the concrete connection between letters and digits. We create words with letters, and we create numbers with digits. “Banana is a word with 6 letters. 5,432 is a number with 4 digits.”

It goes on to explicitly show how the same digits can be rearranged to create different numbers because of place value, and provides great visuals to support this conversation. I also appreciate that it goes into the WHY of our base ten number system, and how counting has evolved. Some of your students will really enjoy the history lesson!

Depending on your grade level and/or the students in front of you, you may want to skip over certain pages (like those that discuss commas for larger numbers, or decimals).

Penguin Place Value by Kathleen L. Stone

This place value book is short and to the point. In Penguin Place Value , a little penguin family catches fish and brings them back to sell in their shop. They place their fish on trays, but each tray only holds nine fish. When they get to ten, they put the fish in a box. At the end of their fishing day, they identify how many boxes of fish they have and how many fish are on the tray to determine how many fish are caught. (6 boxes of ten, with 4 fish on the tray is 64 fish.) I love the packaging of tens and the visual of “leftover fish” on the tray!

There is a second place value book in the series called More Penguin Place Value , which expands this idea into the hundreds! On really good fishing days, the family uses vans to load up their boxes of fish. Each van can only hold ten boxes of fish (with ten fish in each box). Again, another fun visual to help students understand the exponential growth that happens when looking at place value!

Octopuses Have Zero Bones by Anne Richardson

This gorgeous book is not explicitly a place value book, but I’m still including it! It is actually a beautifully illustrated counting book. However, I love how they take facts like “Hummingbirds lay two eggs. Now let’s try placing two zeros after the two. 200! Bowhead whales can live more than two hundred years!”

It’s subtle, but it can be a great jumping-off point for all kinds of math conversations, including place value! It is definitely one that I would want to have in my classroom library!

Sir Cumference and All the King’s Tens by Cindy Neuschwander

This place value book is one of my favorites from the Sir Cumference series. I love that we are brought into a real-life example of how place value supports counting.

While trying to plan a party for King Arthur, Sir Cumference and Lady Di are overwhelmed by the number of guests that arrive. They cannot keep track as they trickle in and worry that if they don’t have a proper count, they won’t know how many meals to serve.

It gives us a great opportunity to stop and ask students to problem-solve. How would they go about keeping track of the guests? How could they keep everyone organized so they can continue to count the guests that keep arriving?

In the end, we realize the importance of keeping people organized in groups related to place value (tens, ones, thousands), and the relationship between those groups. I also really enjoyed the visuals of the guests’ “tents” that help keep track of the tens, hundreds, and thousands. I definitely recommend this one!

A Place for Zero by Angeline Sparagna LoPresti

The importance of zero can be hard to underscore for students. While the content feels a little forced in this place value book, it’s still a cute story that drives home the message that zero is much more than “nothing.”

It does discuss multiplication and describes the identity property of zero in multiplication (without naming it), so I would perhaps skip this book with first graders.

If you have a favorite place value book that you noticed is missing from our shelf, please leave a comment to let me know!

Looking For More Than Place Value Books?

Check out some of these favorite posts to dig deeper into place value:

• Tens and Ones Activities to Teach Place Value
• Teaching Place Value
• Counting by Tens: Where Most Students Get Stuck and How to Exactly Help

Looking for engaging activities to support your place value unit? Check out my Place Value Pack or my Tens and Ones Pack for some favorites!

You can also click on either of the images below to view in more detail!

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Math Picture Books: Place Value & Operations

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by  Amy Porter

June 28, 2021

Here are a few of my favorite math picture books / readalouds for place value, numbers, & operations. Most of my posts on teaching specific topics include relevant books but some teachers/parents have asked for recommended books to be listed in one place. Links on titles will take you to their listing on Amazon.

For math picture books covering geometry and measurement concepts please see this post.

Place Value Picture Books

Place Value is a funny story of monkeys who must get the amounts in the recipe correct to make the biggest banana cupcake ever. 

Sir Cumference and All the Kings Tens introduces place value to the tens, hundreds, and thousands with a story about grouping guests for a royal celebration. There are nine other books in the Sir Cumference series as well. I like them because even very young students enjoy the stories and pick up on math vocabulary along the way, but they can also be used as a springboard for discussion of more advanced math concepts. For this reason I have used them with great success in multiage classes and math camps.

How Much is a Million? is an oldie but goodie that helps kids understand how big a million is.

Ready to go bigger than millions? Millions, Billions and Trillions and A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars are both fantastic books for understanding large numbers. A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars was a winner of the Mathical Prize. I love the connection between nature, science, and math.

Concept of Zero Picture Books

A Place for Zero . This is the story of Zero’s adventure meeting Count Infinity, King Multiplus, and Queen Addeleine as he tries to find his place in the number system. It addresses place value and operations with zero. Like the Sir Cumference books, young children enjoy the story and pick up on some of the concepts while older kids can understand at a deeper level. I have found this book really sparks students’ imaginations. After I read it to students at a K-5 summer math camp they had great fun designing their own number people and making up stories set in Number Land.

Another option for teaching about zero is Zero the Hero . According to the author herself, “ Zero the Hero  subtly teaches place-holding and arithmetic operations like addition and subtraction. It touches on stuff like rounding up and down, even and odd numbers–and the fact that the number eight looks like a snowman. But all of that is secondary. I just hope it’s a fun story that you and your family or students enjoy!”

Equality and Comparing Numbers

Equal Shmequal is the story of Mouse and her friends using math to figure out how to make equal teams for a game of tug of war.

Addition and Subtraction

Arithemechicks Add Up and Arithemechicks Take Away are fun stories about ten math loving chicks and their mouse friend. These are fantastic for younger students to see addition and subtraction demonstrated.

The Math is CATegorical series offers The Mission of Addition and The Action of Subtraction . Both are rhyming cartoon style books that introduce the operations in a humorous way.

The series Math Fun has books for every operation. These include If You Were a Plus Sign and If You Were a Minus Sign . They are great for introducing word problems and inspiring students to create their own.

Multiplication

Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar

Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream is from Marilyn Burns Brainy Day Books and includes suggested math activities from Marilyn Burns (one of my favorite math gurus.) The story shows students that multiplication is a faster way to add the same number.

The King’s Chessboard is not only a math story but was declared A Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies and Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children. It demonstrates the power of doubling.

Introducing Division

One Hundred Hungry Ants and Remainder of One are rhyming books that introduce the concept of division and division with remainders. The first has ants dividng into different groups as they try to quickly get to a picnic, and the second is a story of an ant trying to divide the bug army into equal lines of marchers.

The Doorbell Rang is another fun story for introducing division. A grandma makes cookies for her grandchildren which must be divided again and again as more friends come to the door. Many teachers introduce this book by giving children Cookie Crisp cereal to divide into groups. (see my post Introducing Division for more resources for using this book.)

Fraction Operations

Multiplying Menace: The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin . This book is great for upper elementary students. It explores through a fun story the differences between multiplying with whole numbers and with fractions. (There is also a sequel, The Multiplying Menace Divides . )

Do you have other favorite math picture books for place value and operations? Please add them in the comments below!

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25 Activities to Teach Place Value

• Christopher Olson
• February 14, 2022
• No Comments

Place Value Activity 1.  Write the Room

2. Morning Meeting Routine

3. Lego Block Place Value

Place value activity 4.  file folder games, 5. paint swatch place value, 6. math centers.

Place Value Activity 7. Base Ten Monsters!  (Or Robots)

8. place value names, 9. identify different place value units.

Place Value Activity 10. Place Value War

11. place value read alouds.

• Zero the Hero by Joan Holub (aff)
• Sir Cumference and All the King’s Tens by Cindy Neuschwander (aff)
• Math Fables: Lessons That Count by Greg Tang (aff)
• Earth Day–Hooray! by Stuart J. Murphy (aff)
• Place Value by David A. Adler (aff)
• A Place for Zero by Angeline Sparagna LoPresti (aff)
• The King’s Commissioners by Aileen Friedman (aff)
• A Million Dots by Andrew Clements (aff)
• How Much is a Million by David Schwartz (aff)
• Penguin Place Value by Kathleen Stone (aff)

12. Place Value Math Printables

Place Value Activity 13. Rolling for Place Value

14.  place value yahtzee, 15. color by number.

Place Value Activity 16. Pool Noodles

17. center work mats.

18. Place Value Hopscotch

Place value activity 19. snowball place value toss, 20. i have, who has.

21. Place Value Nuts and Bolts

Place value activity 22. ping pong challenge, activity 23. place value and science.

24. YouTube Videos

Place value activity 25. rainbow place value.

Written By: Christopher Olson

Welcome! I’m Emily, Founder of Education to the Core. We are all about helping K-2 teachers by providing unlimited access to affordable printables for every subject area.   

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Home » Blog Posts » Math & Technology » The Best Books for Math Read Alouds

The Best Books for Math Read Alouds

• Book Ideas , Math & Technology

Incorporating engaging books during math time can have a powerful impact on math AND reading in your classroom! Here are some of the best math read alouds teachers can use to build math mastery.

*This post contains affiliate links to Amazon for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which do not cost any extra for you. Please see the  full disclosure here. *

Sign up here for a FREE list of math read aloud books to use in your classroom :

Why Teachers Should Use Math Read Alouds

Although it may seem odd to be reading during math time, I am a huge advocate for integrating subject areas as much as possible in my classroom.

These are just a few of the benefits of math read alouds:

• Kids of all ages love good stories! Even my older students thrive with read alouds.
• Math concepts that appear intimidating lose their scary-factor when the topic is embedded in a good book.
• I believe in using every opportunity possible to cross-connect subject areas for deeper growth and understanding.

Without further ado, here are of the best math read alouds to use in your classroom!

Geometry Picture Books

Sir Cumference Math Adventures Series by Cindy Neuschwander offers loads of information on geometry topics in a fictional kid-friendly format full of pictures and interesting plot twists.

Sir Cumference is a knight that helps solve challenges along with other characters such as Radius, Lady Di of Ameter, Vertex, and carpenters Geo and Sym of Metry.

Come on now, you cannot tell me that those character names aren’t the cutest ever!

You may get some eye-rolling, “oh that’s so corny” from your older students, but trust me, they will eat these books up!

All throughout my geometry unit, my 4th graders checked these books out from our class library over and over again.

Here are just a few of the books in this series that offer wonderful math content on geometry topics:

• Rounding Numbers: Sir Cumference and the First Round Table
• More Rounding: Sir Cumference and the Roundabout Battle
• Learning about Pi: Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi

Another great book for geometry math read aloud is What’s Your Angle Pythagoras? by Julie Ellis

This math read aloud has pictures of little Pythagoras using right angles in triangles to solves everyday problems. Plus it features key geometry vocabulary which is essential for students to learn.

It has a historical fiction aspect that allows you to also integrate some social studies teaching points for students.

Triangles by David Adler could very easily fit under the geometry topic as well as number sense because it contains tons of vocabulary like obtuse, acute, and vertex.

The pictures of geometrical shapes is a bonus for visual learners who may need additional resources to understand geometry.

Place Value/ Number Sense Math Read Alouds

Speaking of David Adler, he also writes amazing children’s books that cover a variety of place value concepts. Place Value , Triangles , and Money Math: Addition and Subtraction   are three of my favorites.

His book on place value showcases numbers in a way that makes learning this skill funny and non-threatening. The illustrations provide great support for your visual learners.

I have had students tell me after a quiz that they pictured “the monkeys” when they read certain word problems from our place value quizzes! Music to my teacher ears!

Included in this set are the Brian Cleary math books such as The Mission of Addition and  The Action of Subtraction ,  These books have become mega-hits with my students!

Each book shows the silliest looking pictures of cats with funny sayings pertaining to math topics. The series’ tagline is Math is CATegorical… how adorable!

On Beyond a Million by David M. Schwartz   definitely made the list because of its balanced mix between fiction and non-fiction fact columns. These are showcased as sidebars on each page. 

This is a cool set-up because it addresses number sense with huge numbers in a story with fun characters, while also showing how these big numbers can be found in real life.

Multiplication Books for Kids

Math Attack by Joan Horton (pictured above) showcases a little girl whose brain is spiraling out of control due to a multiplication problem that she cannot solve quickly.

This book feature multiplication problems over and over, so it’s great for kiddos that struggle with their multiplication math facts. 

Joan’s book also makes a great segue into using hands-on math games for multiplication.

The Grapes Of Math   and  The Best Of Times   both by Greg Tang are must-haves in your classroom library for great books to use when teaching multiplication.

The Grapes of Math displays portrait-style layouts on each page of math poems and objects arranged in an array. Poems, arrays, multiplication, beautiful pictures all rolled up into one –all I can say is Yeeesssss!

To make this book even more engaging for my students, I give them a basic chart worksheet   and have them write number sentences for each array pictured.

Then I challenge them to write their own math poem with an array to drive that critical thinking and application of the concept even more. 

Related Post: 7 Quick and Easy Math Center Ideas

Fractions book ideas.

I am still building my faction book collection, so I only have two for now.

Fraction Action by Loreen Leedy takes the cake for featuring fractions on every page with examples from real life. The book even has actual problems throughout it for students to solve with an answer key in the back of the book.

Like many of the titles included on this list, I use this book during math centers with other hands-on math games.

Fractions: Making Fair Shares by Michele Koomen   is my other fraction favorite that has beautiful pictures and real life examples.

A FREE List of Even More Math Read Alouds

There are so many more great math read aloud books that I want to add to this list, but if I did, you would be here reading for days.

Hopefully, this sampler of books whet your appetite for including children’s literature with math instruction.

Feel free to pin this post for later use. 🙂

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Erin Waters EDU

Teach Smarter, Not Harder

by Erin Waters • Leave a Comment

14 Math Read Alouds Every Teacher Will Want to Use

In the world of education, storytelling is like pure magic. And guess what? When it comes to teaching math, there’s this awesome trick called “math read alouds” that makes learning math so much more fun! These stories are like hidden treasures because they not only grab kids’ attention but also sneakily slip in all those math concepts we want them to learn.

So, in this blog post, we’re handing you a list of 14 amazing math read-alouds that every teacher should have in their toolkit. You’ve got adventure stories that explore math, heartwarming tales that make tough concepts easy, and much more. These books are like a secret weapon to make math super interesting and to keep your students flipping pages for more math adventures. Dive in and let the math magic begin!

Math Read Alouds To Add To Your Bookshelf

Math Read Alouds to Teach About Fractions:

• Full House: An Invitation to Fractions by Dayle Ann Dodds and Abby Carter: This book uses a lively story about a family preparing for a party to introduce fractions. It explores concepts like halves, thirds, and quarters through colorful illustrations and relatable examples.
• Give Me Half! by Stuart J. Murphy and G. Brian Karas: This book follows two siblings who learn about dividing things equally by sharing. It introduces the concept of halves and encourages children to think about fair sharing and fractions in everyday situations.
• Apple Fractions by Jerry Pallotta and Rob Bolster: In this book, various types of apples are used to introduce fractions. It showcases different apple varieties and demonstrates how they can be divided into halves, quarters, and more. The colorful illustrations make it visually engaging for young readers.
• The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins: While not exclusively focused on fractions, this classic picture book introduces the concept of sharing and dividing equally. The story revolves around a batch of cookies and how they need to be shared among a growing number of visitors. It provides a simple and relatable context for understanding fractions.

These picture books provide engaging stories and visuals to introduce and reinforce the concept of fractions in a fun and accessible way. They can be used as read-alouds to stimulate discussions and help children develop a solid understanding of fractions.

Reading about math is so much fun. Are you looking for a way to write about math? Check out these math journal prompts. All you need is a spiral notebook and a projector!

Math Read Alouds to Teach About Place Value:

• A Place for Zero by Angeline Sparagna Lopresti and Phyllis Hornung: This book uses a story about Zero’s journey to find his place to introduce the concept of place value. It explains how each digit’s position determines its value and highlights the importance of Zero in the number system.
• How Much Is a Million? by David M. Schwartz and Steven Kellogg: While not solely focused on place value, this book helps children grasp the magnitude of large numbers. It provides relatable comparisons and visuals to illustrate the concept of place value and the significance of each digit’s position in creating larger numbers.
• One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes and Bonnie MacKain: This book follows a group of ants as they march in different formations to reach a picnic. It introduces place value through the perspective of the ants, demonstrating how rearranging their positions can represent different quantities.
• The King’s Commissioners by Aileen Friedman and Kim Howard: This story takes place in a medieval kingdom where the king’s commissioners count the population using place value. It explores the concept of grouping and regrouping numbers to understand their value and importance.
• Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving by Greg Tang and Greg Paprocki: Although not specifically about place value, this book combines math and art to engage children in problem-solving. It encourages readers to identify patterns and relationships in numbers, fostering an understanding of place value and the significance of each digit.

These picture books offer engaging narratives and visuals to teach and reinforce the concept of place value. They can be used during read aloud sessions to spark discussions and help children develop a solid foundation in understanding the value and position of digits within numbers .

Math Read Alouds to Teach About Number Sense:

• Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews: This book explores the concept of numbers through the use of dots. It encourages children to count and visualize numbers as they follow the journey of ten black dots and witness how they can be transformed into different objects.
• Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr., Michael Sampson, and Lois Ehlert: This rhythmic and colorful book combines numbers and the alphabet. It introduces numbers from 1 to 20, allowing children to learn and connect number names and symbols in an engaging way.
• How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague: Dinosaurs make learning numbers fun in this book. It introduces counting from one to ten as different dinosaur characters display both proper and improper counting behavior. It helps children understand the concept of counting and reinforces number sense.
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle: While not exclusively focused on number sense, this classic book introduces counting and numbers. It follows the journey of a caterpillar as it eats through various foods, counting from one to five and illustrating the concept of sequencing and numerical order.

These picture books provide engaging stories, vibrant illustrations, and interactive elements to teach and reinforce number sense. Through counting, sequencing, and connecting numbers to real-world objects and situations, children can develop a strong foundation in understanding and working with numbers.

Incorporating math read alouds into your teaching can be a real win-win. These 14 books we’ve talked about can turn math lessons into exciting adventures. So, why not bring some storytelling magic into your classroom? It’s a surefire way to make math more than just numbers—it’s about exploring and having fun. Dive into these stories and let math come alive for you and your students. Happy reading and happy learning!

What to check out more book recommendations? Read these posts:

The 9 Best Halloween Books to Read In Your Classroom

The #1 February Book For Your Classroom

8 Excellent Back to School Books for Relatable Classroom Read-Alouds

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Thrifty in Third Grade

By Cassie Smith - Engaging Elementary Resources

5th Grade Guided Math Read Alouds

June 26, 2020 by Cassie Smith

Read alouds are a great way to incorporate literature into math time. The following guided math read aloud books are suggested books that complement each topic taught in my 5th Grade Guided Math units . However, these are not a part of the lessons and are only suggested as enhancements to your classroom library.

In my classroom, I have math books out and students can read them during independent reading time or during our Guided Reading rotations.

(This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that Amazon sends me a little pocket change, at no cost to you, if you purchase through one of these links. This helps keep my site running!)

Place Value:

Place Value by David A. Adler

How Much is a Million? By David M. Schwartz

Millions, Billions, & Trillions: Understanding Big Numbers by David A. Adler

Let’s Estimate: A Book About Estimating and Rounding Numbers by David A. Adler

Sir Cumference and the Roundabout Battle by Cindy Neuschwander

Multiplication:

The Best of Times by Greg Tang

MATH-terpieces by Greg Tang

Numerical Expressions:

Multiplying Menace: The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin by Pam Calvert

Math Curse by Jon Scieszka

You Can, Toucan, Math: Word Problem-Solving Fun by David A. Adler

A Remainder of One by Elinor J Pinczes

Divide and Ride by Stuart J. Murphy

The Great Divide: A Mathematical Marathon

Coordinate Planes:

Coordinate Graphing: Creating Geometry Quilts by Marci Mathers

Classifying Figures:

If You Were a Quadrilateral by Molly Blaisdell

Triangles by David A. Adler

Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland by Cindy Neuschwander

Line Plots:

How Long or How Wide?: A Measuring Guide by Brian P. Cleary

Millions to Measure by David M. Schwartz

The Great Graph Contest by Loreen Leedy

Sir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert by Cindy Neuschwander

Adding and Subtracting Fractions:

Fractions in Disguise: A Math Adventure by Edward Einhorn

A Fraction’s Goal-Parts of a Whole by Brian P. Cleary

Fractions = Trouble! By Claudia Mills

Sir Cumference and the Fraction Faire by Cindy Neuschwander

Multiplying Fractions:

Amazing Animals: Strange Animal Partnerships: Multiplying Fractions by Jay Hwang

Fractions, Decimals, and Percents by David A. Adler

Conversions:

On The Scale, a Weighty Tale by Brian P. Cleary

Perimeter, Area, and Volume: A Monster Book of Dimensions by David A Adler

Learn how I teach Guided Math!

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Understanding Place Value

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Place value is an extremely important concept that is taught as early as kindergarten. As students learn about larger numbers, the concept of place value continues throughout the middle grades. Place value refers to the value of the digit based on its position and can be a difficult concept for young learners to grasp, but understanding this idea is essential for learning math.

What Is Place Value?

Place value refers to the value of each digit in a number. For example, the number  753 has three "places"—or columns—each with a specific value. In this three-digit number, the  3  is in the "ones" place, the  5  is in the "tens" place, and the 7  is in the "hundreds" place. 

In other words, the  3  represents three single units, so the value of this number is three. The  5  is in the tens place, where values increase by multiples of 10. So, the  5  is worth five units of 10, or  5 x 10 , which equals 50. The  7  is in the hundreds place, so it represents seven units of 100, or 700.

Young learners grapple with this idea because the value of each number is different depending on the column, or place, in which it resides. Lisa Shumate, writing for the website of Demme Learning , an educational publishing company, explains:

"Regardless of whether dad is in the kitchen, the living room, or the garage, he is still dad, but if the digit  3  is in different locations (tens or hundreds place, for example), it means something different."

A  3  in the ones column is just  3.  But that same  3  in the tens column is  3 x 10 , or 30, and the  3  in the hundreds column is  3 x 100 , or 300. To teach place value, give students the tools they need to grasp this concept.

Base 10 Blocks

Base 10 blocks are manipulative sets designed to help students learn place value with blocks and flats in various colors, such as small yellow or green cubes (for ones), blue rods (for tens), and orange flats (featuring 100-block squares).

For example, consider a number such as  294.  Use green cubes for ones, blue bars (which contain 10 blocks each) to represent 10s, and 100 flats for the hundreds place. Count out four green cubes representing the  4  in the ones column, nine blue bars (containing 10 units each) to represent the  9  in the tens column, and two 100 flats to represent the  2  in the hundreds column.

You don't even have to use different-colored base 10 blocks. For example,  for the number 142 , you would place one 100 flat in the hundreds place, four 10-unit rods in the tens column, and two single-unit cubes in the ones place.

Place Value Charts

Use a chart like an image atop this article when teaching place value to students. Explain to them that with this kind of chart, they can determine place values for even very large numbers.

For instance, with a number such as 360,521 : the  3  would be placed in the "Hundreds of Thousands" column and represents 300,000 ( 3 x 100,000) ; the  6  would be placed in the "Tens of Thousands" column and represents 60,000 ( 6 x 10,000 ); the  0 would be placed in the "Thousands" column and represents zero ( 0 x 1,000) ; the  5  would be placed in the "Hundreds" column and represents 500 ( 5 x 100 ); the  2  would be placed in the "Tens" column and represents 20 ( 2 x 10 ), and the one would be in the "Units"—or ones—column and represents 1 ( 1 x 1 ).

Using Objects

Make copies of the chart. Give students various numbers up to 999,999 and have them place the correct digit in its corresponding column. Alternatively, use different-colored objects, such as gummy bears, cubes, wrapped candies, or even small squares of paper.

Define what each color represents, such as green for ones, yellow for tens, red for hundreds, and brown for thousands. Write a number, such as 1,345 , on the board. Each student should place the correct number of colored objects in the corresponding columns on her chart: one brown marker in the "Thousands" column, three red markers in the "Hundreds" column, four yellow markers in the "Tens" column, and five green markers in the "Ones" column.

• Rounding Numbers

When a child understands place value, she is usually able to round numbers to a specific place. The key is understanding that rounding numbers are essentially the same as rounding digits. The general rule is that if a digit is five or greater, you round up. If a digit is four or less, you round down.

So, to round the number 387 to the nearest tens place, for example, you would look at the number in the ones column, which is  7.  Since seven is greater than five, it rounds up to 10. You can't have a 10 in the ones place, so you would leave the zero in the ones place and round the number in the tens place,  8 , up to the next digit, which is 9 . The number rounded to the nearest 10 would be 390 . If students are struggling to round in this manner, review place value as discussed previously.

• A Place Value Template to Support Learning Tens and Ones
• A Lesson Plan for Teaching Three-Digit Place Value
• IEP Goals for Place Value
• Number and Operations in Base Ten
• Free Printable 3-Digit Subtraction Worksheets
• Overview of the Stem-and-Leaf Plot
• Multi-Sensory Instruction in Math for Special Education
• What is the Base-10 Number System?
• How to Make a Stem and Leaf Plot
• Simple Rules for Rounding Numbers Correctly
• Lesson Plan for Introduction to Two-Digit Multiplication
• 3-Digit Addition Worksheets
• Reading and Writing Binary Numbers
• Tips and Rules for Determining Significant Figures
• A Lesson Plan to Teach Rounding by 10s

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Place Value

The value of where a digit is in the number. Example: In 352, the 5 is in the "tens" place, so its place value is 10 Example: In 17.591, the 9 is in the "hundredths" place, so its place value is 0.01

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What Is Place Value? Explained For Elementary School

Sophie bartlett.

In this post we will be explaining what place value is, what it means, and providing you with some questions you can use to test children’s skills!

What is place value?

When do children learn about place value in school, base ten blocks, how does place value relate to other areas of math, place value and other areas of math within each grade level, place value practice questions for elementary school children.

Place value is the basis of our entire number system. It is the value of each digit in a number. In other words, the position of a digit in a number determines its value.

For example, the 5 in 350 represents 5 tens, or 50; however, the 5 in 5,006 represents 5 thousands, or 5,000. 

It is important that children understand that whilst a digit can be the same, its value depends on where it is in the number. 

Children will most likely be taught place value through a chart like this:

Often, these will just appear with letters on them to represent each position: M illions, H undred Th ousands, T en Th ousands, Th ousands, H undreds, T ens, O nes, t enths, h undredths, and so on.

For example, in 27,435, the number 2 is in the ten thousands place and represents 2 ten thousands or 20,000; the number 7 is in the thousands place and represents 7 thousands or 7,000; the number 4 is in the hundreds place and represents 4 hundreds or 400, the number 3 is in the tens place and represents 3 tens or 30; and the number 5 is in the ones place and represents 5 ones or 5.

Place Value Chart Printable

Looking for a way to explore place value with your class? Try our blank place value templates of different sizes so students can write directly on them!

Place value is arguably one of the most important areas of the elementary math curriculum. Each grade level has a set of objectives specifically focused on number and place value. At the start of each school year in elementary school, your child is likely to be reviewing previous place value work and building on it with larger (or smaller in the case of decimals) numbers.

Schools following Common Core:

In kindergarten , students should: 

• Count to 100 by ones and by tens.
• Count forward from any given number. 
• Write numbers to 20 in numerals. 

Students may also begin to recognize place value in numbers beyond 20 by reading, writing, counting and comparing numbers up to 100, supported by objects and visual representations.

In 1st grade , students should: 

• Recognize the place value of each digit in a two-digit number (tens, ones).
• Read and write numbers to at least 100 in numerals and in words.

By the end of 1st grade, students should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value.

In 2nd grade , students should: 

• Recognize the place value of each digit in a three-digit number (hundreds, tens, ones).
• Count within 1000; skip-count by 5s, 10s, and 100s.
• Read and write numbers up to 1000 using numerals, number names, and expanded form.

In 3rd grade , students should: 

• Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

In 4th grade , students should: 

• Recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right.
• Read and write multi-digit whole numbers using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form. 
• Use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.

In 5th grade , students should: 

• Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left.
• Read, write, and compare decimals to thousandths.
• Use place value understanding to round decimals to any place.

Other schools:

 Other schools not following Common Core follow the same progression of concepts for teaching place value as shown above, although some individual standards may vary slightly.

How are children be taught place value at elementary school?

Throughout elementary school, two concrete math resources are used to help make place value easy  for children to understand. Both of the following aids do this by representing it in a visual manner. 

Base ten blocks  (also known as “base 10 blocks”) are cubes that are used to represent units/ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands. 

These cubes are a simple way for children to make different numbers. To make the number 174, they would need to gather one set of 100, 7 sets of 10, and four single cubes.

Ten frames are rectangular grids with two rows of five boxes. They are commonly used in primary classrooms to represent numbers within the context of “ten.” This helps students build a strong number sense by providing students with simple, visual representations of ones and tens. 

To use a ten frame, students are given counters which they can manipulate within the ten frame to create different numbers and learn about place value. They can also use two ten frames – a full ten frame to show a ten, and then a second ten frame to show the ones – to create numbers 11-20. Ten frames are also used when students are just beginning to learn how to add and subtract. 

Understanding place value is crucial for children before they can move on to adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. 

If you’re interested in digging deeper into this topic, then we recommend reading this detailed guide on teaching place value and trying out some of these place value games .

Place value is intrinsically linked to many other areas of math; a solid understanding of it is vital in order to allow children to competently add, subtract, multiply, and divide, among other things.

In Kindergarten , students will compose (make) and decompose (take apart) numbers from 11 to 19 into tens and ones by using objects or drawings.

In 1st grade , students will use place value and number facts to add and subtract within 100. 

In 2nd grade, students will add and subtract within 1000 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction, and they will explain why these strategies work.

In 3rd grade, place value is used in addition and multiplication. Students will add and subtract within 1000 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

Students will also multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range 10-90 using strategies based on place value and properties of operations.

In measurement, 3rd grade students build on their understanding of place value by relating addition and multiplication to concepts of area and perimeter.

In 4th grade, students will add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.

Students will also multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number, multiply two two-digit numbers, and divide up to four-digit dividends and one-digit divisors, all using strategies based on place value.

In measurement, students will use their knowledge of place value and the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money. They will also use multiplication and division to convert between units such as meters and kilometers.

In 5th grade, students will multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm and divide whole numbers with up to four-digit dividends and two-digit divisors

Students will use their place value understanding to add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths. 

In measurement, students will convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system.

 Other schools not following Common Core still follow the same progression of concepts as shown above; students begin in Kindergarten composing and decomposing tens and ones and work their way through the four operations until finally, in 5th grade, they are using the four operations involving decimals. Some standards may vary by state.

Try these to get an idea of how comfortable your child is with the place value system.

1) In the following numbers, what is the value of the digit 7? a) 405.7   b) 30,070

2) Jack has four number cards: 2, 3, 4 and 7. He uses each card once to make a four-digit number. He places 4 in the tens column; 2 so that it has a higher value than any of the other digits, and the remaining digits so that 7 has the higher value. What number did Jack make?

3) Look at this number: 23,451.96. Write the digit that is in the   a) hundreds place b) hundredths place.

4) Write the number 402,037 in words.

Related articles

• What Is A Square Number?
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• Math Word Problems Explained for Parents and Teachers
• What Is Part Whole Model ?

This blog is part of our series of blogs designed for teachers, schools and parents supporting home learning .

For other math terminology , check out our free elementary math dictionary for kids has parent and child-friendly definitions of all key math vocabulary.

Do you have students who need extra support in math? Give your students more opportunities to consolidate learning and practice skills through personalized math tutoring with their own dedicated online math tutor. Each student receives differentiated instruction designed to close their individual learning gaps, and scaffolded learning ensures every student learns at the right pace. Lessons are aligned with your state’s standards and assessments, plus you’ll receive regular reports every step of the way. Personalized one-on-one math tutoring programs are available for: – 2nd grade – 3rd grade – 4th grade – 5th grade – 6th grade Why not learn more about how it works ?

The content in this article was originally written by primary school teacher Sophie Bartlett and has since been revised and adapted for US schools by elementary math teacher Katie Keeton.

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Teaching with Math Place-Value Charts

Imagine a world in which every whole number had its own symbol: a symbol for 1, 2, 3..., along with a symbol for 87, 135, and 62 million (to name a few). We would hardly be able to count , let alone perform arithmetic or any of the mathematics that we have today.

As far back as we know, humans have always recognized that numbers need some kind of pattern to make sense of them and do math with them. However, for many centuries, those patterns still used new symbols for 1, 10, 100, 1000, and increasing powers of 10 , along with whatever symbols they used for the individual numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. Different number systems represented these numbers in different ways, but the real breakthrough was the invention of the number zero, which allows us to represent all whole numbers with just a few symbols. Today, we can represent every number with only 10 digits in total: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. For example, we can represent the large number 61,432 with the symbols 6, 1, 4, 3, and 2 because of the place-value system .

What Is Place Value in Math?

Place value is the basis of our entire number system. This is the system in which the position of a digit in a number determines its value. The number 42,316 is different from 61,432 because the digits are in different positions. In the standard system, called the base ten number system (or decimal system ), each place represents ten times the value of the place to its right. You can think of this as making groups of ten of the smaller unit and combining them to make a new unit.

Ten ones make up one of the next larger unit, tens. Ten of those units make up one of the next larger unit, hundreds. This pattern continues for greater values (ten hundreds = one thousand, ten thousands = one ten thousand, etc.), and lesser, decimal values (ten tenths = one one, ten hundredths = one tenth, etc.). In Grades 2 and up, your students will be focusing on mastering place value for ones, tens, and hundreds. In this article, we provide two lessons for introducing and developing the concept of the base ten number system.

In standard form , the number modeled above is 233.

What Is a Place-Value Chart?

A place-value chart is a way to make sure digits are in the correct places. A great way to see the place-value relationships in a number is to create a place-value model using actual objects (for example, place-value blocks, bundles of craft sticks, or—if necessary—digital manipulatives), write the digits in the chart, and then write the number in the usual, or standard form.

An understanding of the place value of numbers is vitally important to learning operations. It is how we can compare numbers; line up numbers vertically; make sense of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with larger numbers; and is the foundation for regrouping ("borrowing" and "carrying").

Introducing the Concept: Place Value to 1,000

Before second grade, children have usually worked with place value through 99. Before beginning place value to 1,000, review place value through 99. If the children spend some time reviewing, the transfer of knowledge to 1,000 will be easier. Take time for practice grouping and interpreting 2-digit numbers, using the language of place value.

Materials: at least 84 snap cubes, tens and ones mat for each child or pair of children, paper to write on; if teaching remotely, use digital versions

Key Standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NBT.B.2 Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represent amounts of tens and ones. (CCSS 1.NBT.B.2)

Preparation: Prepare a tens and ones mat for each child. Prepare a chart of number words. One column should include the number words one to nine, a second column ten to ninety by tens, and a third column, eleven to nineteen. Display it so children can refer to it. If teaching remotely, use digital versions of the mat and chart.

Prerequisite Skills and Concepts: Children should know how to count to 100. They should be familiar with number words and what they look like when written.

Give each child (or pair of children) 26 cubes.

• Ask : How many cubes do you have? Children may use varying strategies to count the cubes. Encourage students to compare the different ways they arrived at their totals. Show that if you count the cubes by ones, there are 26 total.

Unless teaching remotely, have children put their cubes off to the side on a different surface or in a container. Note publicly that there were 26 cubes. Give children 26 more cubes.

Ask : Make as many groups of ten as you can. How many groups of ten can you make? Children should say they have 2 groups of tens, or 2 tens.

• Ask : How many tens and ones do you have? (2 tens and 6 ones) How many cubes are there? (26) How many cubes did you count before? (26) Are there the same number of cubes in both groups? (Yes)Children should understand that the two groups have the same number of cubes.
• Ask : Does it change the number when you group the tens? Children should say that the number is the same whether you count them one by one or group them and count them by tens and ones.
• Continue counting cubes and making groups of tens and ones. Lead children to see the relationship of the number words to the groups of tens and ones.
• Give each child a tens and ones mat and a sheet of paper to write on. Then give each child 32 cubes. Have them group the cubes by tens and ones on their mat.
• Ask : How many tens do you have? (3) How many ones? (2)
• Say : Now let's write that number.
• Ask : What number did you write? (32) How did you know that was the number? Children should say that the 3 shows how many tens and the 2 shows how many ones.
• Repeat with other 2-digit numbers until children seem confident in converting their groups of cubes to written 2-digit numbers.

Developing the Concept: Place Value to 1,000

Once children show a good understanding of place value with tens and ones, introduce place value with hundreds, tens, and ones.

Materials: place-value blocks, hundreds place-value mat

Key Standard: Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones. (CCSS 2.NBT.A.1)

Preparation: Create a hundreds place-value mat for each child. If teaching remotely, use digital versions of the mat.

Prerequisite Skills and Concepts: Children should know place value with tens and ones.

• Say : We have been working on place value with 2-digit numbers. Today we are going to work with 3-digit numbers. You will be using a new place-value model to show your numbers.
• Introduce the ones, tens, and hundreds place-value blocks. Allow time for children to line up and compare ten ones to one ten, and ten tens to a hundred block. Have children place the blocks in the correct positions on their place-value mats.
• Say : I have ten ones. I want to trade them for another block that has the same value. Who will trade with me? Have a volunteer show how you can trade ten ones for one ten. Repeat using ten tens and a hundred block. Then demonstrate trading 20 ones for 2 tens or 20 tens for 2 hundreds.
• Ask : If you have the number 162, how many hundreds, tens, and ones will you place on your mat? Allow time for children to place their blocks, repeating the number as necessary. Children should place 1 hundred block, 6 tens blocks, and 2 ones blocks in the appropriate sections of their mats.
• Repeat the activity until the children place the blocks correctly and with ease. Only use numbers that do not have any zeros in their digits.
• Say : Now we are going to try another number. It is 205.
• Ask : How many hundreds are there? (2) How many tens? (0) How many ones? (5)
• Ask : Are there blocks in every section of your mat? Children should say that there are no blocks in the tens section. If children have different configurations, encourage them to discuss the way they made the number with each other. Encourage them to explain what they did without calling it right or wrong.
• Ask : How will we write the number? Lead children to express that they must write a zero when there are no blocks.
• Continue by challenging children to show numbers on their mats when you give the digits out of order. For example, say, I have 2 tens, 3 hundreds, and 6 ones. What number is that? I have no hundreds, 7 ones, and 3 tens. What number is that? This will make children pay careful attention to the place-value words. For children who are ready, consider extending to more puzzling descriptions such as "I have 2 tens, 3 tens, 6 hundreds, and another ten" or "I have 2 tens and the same amount of hundreds and ones."

Wrap-Up and Assessment Hints Place value needs lots of practice. Reinforce the vocabulary. Remind children that it is very important to listen and write a number carefully; that the numbers should be in order and that the numbers should be in the correct position. As you assess each child, check the placement of the written numbers.

Grow student confidence in mathematics with HMH Into Math , our core math solution for Grades K–8.

Get our FREE guide "Optimizing the Math Classroom: 6 Best Practices."

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