How to Teach Place Value So It Actually Sticks
Place value is the hinge of primary maths. Teach it with base-10 blocks first, then expanded form, then the column method.
Place value is the invisible backbone of arithmetic. A child who doesn't understand that the 3 in 34 is worth 30 and not 3 can do mechanical addition sums but will fail the moment they have to borrow, carry, or compare numbers. Every primary-age maths gap I've seen in tutoring leads back to place value.
Teach it with base-10 blocks — or if you don't have any, with bundles of 10 lolly sticks. Show physically that ten ones is one ten, and ten tens is one hundred. This concrete stage takes longer than the textbook wants and is worth every minute. Don't move to written notation until the blocks make sense.
Then introduce expanded form (34 = 30 + 4) before column addition. Expanded form is the verbal translation of place value, and children who can do it find column addition trivial. The column method without expanded form is just a trick the child doesn't understand.
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Printable Worksheets to Go With This Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age is place value taught?+
Tens and ones in Year 1 (age 5 to 6). Hundreds in Year 2. Thousands and beyond in Year 3. Decimals (tenths, hundredths) in Year 4.
What are base-10 blocks?+
Physical blocks representing ones (small cubes), tens (rods of 10 cubes), hundreds (flat 10×10 squares), and thousands (large cubes). They make place value visible and tangible. Any cheap set works.
Why do children get place value wrong?+
Usually because they were shown the algorithm before understanding the concept. A child who reads 34 as 'three, four' rather than 'thirty-four' hasn't got place value yet.
What's expanded form?+
Writing a number as the sum of its place values: 347 = 300 + 40 + 7. It makes place value explicit and should be taught before column addition.