Understanding place value is crucial for children to make progress from Year 1 onwards. When we talk of place value we mean the value of each digit in a number. For example, the 4 in 64 has a value of 4 but the 4 in 46 has a value of 40. It is important that children understand that whilst a digit can be the same, its value depends on where it is placed in the number.

Pictorial representation is a great way to help children visualise larger numbers and to understand that 1 ten is equal to 10 ones, as well as understanding how a 2-digit number is made up of tens and ones (e.g. 46 is made up of 4 tens and 6 ones).

It is important for children to have plenty of practical experience grouping objects into tens, with some left over. By doing this they can identify the total quantity. Place value grids or charts and part-whole models are common ways that schools use to help children and an abacus can be equally good.

Since 2014 the term ‘ones’ has been frequently used, rather than ‘units’, to describe the place value given to the numbers 0 to 9. If you are not used to these methods we have a wide range of activities on all of them in both our Year 1 and Year 2 Counting and Number categories.