BREAKING DOWN PLACE VALUE
While trying to pick a topic for my first blog post, I took a quick minute to think back to the students I've worked with and what math concepts they struggled with. I see a trend across many grade levels in difficulties with addition/subtraction problems and word problems. I believe a strong understanding of place value sets the foundation for building more complex concepts, like the ones I mentioned above. While place value seems like the most simple and straightforward concept, it's one that trips many students up as they move forward to things like word problems, decimals, and carrying/borrowing in addition/subtraction problems. Sooo even if you're like me and think place value is just second nature, let's take a moment to put ourselves in our students shoes and find some fun ways to master place value!
So first, what exactly do we mean by "place value"?
Place value is simply that: the value that a digit holds based on its position, or place, in a number.
The first place values we learn in elementary school are ones, tens hundreds. I think the best way to master place values is to practice identifying the different numbers in the place value spots with ONE single number, before we move to addition where we stack by place value. One of the best tools for this is a simple place value chart. I practiced using this with my students by writing a number on the board and having them use a dry erase marker to write the number on a laminated place value chart. For example, I wrote 102 on the board. The students then wrote a 2 in the ones place, a 0 in the tens place, and a 1 in the hundreds place. We also worked on being able to answer place value questions, such as "how many ones are in the number 102?" The students were able to use their charts and tell me that there are 2 ones in 102.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/125326802103443263/
Once you feel that your students are comfortable with identifying place value, there are so many fun worksheets you can give them to practice this skill!
http://www.2ndgradeworksheets.net/placevalueworksheets.htm
Finally, don't forget that the mastery of simple concepts like place value are absolutely necessary if you hope to build on them for more complex concepts! Hope this helps!
So first, what exactly do we mean by "place value"?
Place value is simply that: the value that a digit holds based on its position, or place, in a number.
The first place values we learn in elementary school are ones, tens hundreds. I think the best way to master place values is to practice identifying the different numbers in the place value spots with ONE single number, before we move to addition where we stack by place value. One of the best tools for this is a simple place value chart. I practiced using this with my students by writing a number on the board and having them use a dry erase marker to write the number on a laminated place value chart. For example, I wrote 102 on the board. The students then wrote a 2 in the ones place, a 0 in the tens place, and a 1 in the hundreds place. We also worked on being able to answer place value questions, such as "how many ones are in the number 102?" The students were able to use their charts and tell me that there are 2 ones in 102.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/125326802103443263/
Once you feel that your students are comfortable with identifying place value, there are so many fun worksheets you can give them to practice this skill!
http://www.2ndgradeworksheets.net/placevalueworksheets.htm
Finally, don't forget that the mastery of simple concepts like place value are absolutely necessary if you hope to build on them for more complex concepts! Hope this helps!
Hi Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you in saying that place value sets the foundation for building more complex concepts. If a student does not understand place value, how will they begin to understand concepts like, greater than, less than, or equal too, or even decimals? (Once they are introduced).
In elementary school, I used the place value chart many times. It was extremely helpful! Also, the worksheets you linked are so fun and great ways for students to improve their knowledge of place values!
Good work!
Alex