What Are Place Values?
Every digit in a number has a special value based on where it
sits!
Place value is like a number's address system - each position has a name (ones, tens, hundreds, etc.)
and tells us how much that digit is worth. The further left a digit is, the more valuable it becomes!
How Place Values Work
1️⃣ Each position is 10 times greater than the one to its right
2️⃣ We read numbers from left to right (biggest to smallest)
3️⃣ Zero (0) is important as a placeholder when there's no value in that position
Let's Explore with Examples
Interactive Place Value Chart
Type any whole number below to see its place values:
The Digit Detective Game
What's the value of the underlined digit in each number?
1. 427,891 → The 2 is in the place
2. 9,305,672 → The 5 is worth
Parent Tips 🌟
- Make it real: Use money (dollars, dimes, pennies) to demonstrate place value concepts - $1 = 100 pennies helps show the 100x relationship!
- Play place value games: Try "Guess My Number" where you give clues like "My number has a 7 in the thousands place that's worth 7,000."
- Connect to everyday life: Point out place values in real-world numbers like population statistics, sports scores, or car odometers.