Teach your class how to skip-count by twos, threes, fives, and tens. This is an essential concept for students to understand before they learn place value. [3] X Research source Especially try to establish a strong “sense of ten. " Modern western mathematics uses the number ten as a base, so it will be much easier for kids to learn more complex systems if they are used to thinking in this way. Teach your pupils to group numbers instinctively into sets of ten. [4] X Research source
Demonstrate that on their own, “1” is the number one and “7” is the number seven. When you put them together, as “17,” they form the number seventeen. Similarly, “3” and 5” together make the number thirty-five. Draw several other examples to bring the point home.
Illustrate the “ones” place. Direct the class mark or cover up every number that has a “3” in the “ones” place: 3, 13, 23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93. Explain the “tens” place. Have the class point out every number with a “2” in the “tens” place: 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. Explain that the “3” in “23” is stacked on top of the “20” that is signified by the “2. " Teach your kids to read the “tens” place as a trigger.
Memory is predominantly visual, and the concept of place value can be abstract until you put it into visual terms. [10] X Research source For that matter, numerical symbols themselves can be abstract for young kids! Look for ways to frame group counting and place value so that they come across as simple, tangible, and intuitive.
Say another number – for instance, 30. Lay down three blue chips to represent the 3 (in the “tens” place) and zero white chips to represent the 0 (in the “ones” place. ) You don’t strictly need to use poker chips. You can use almost set of objects to represent the three basic value “places,” as long as each group (color of chips, etc. ) is standard, homogeneous, and easy to recognize.
For a basic addition problem, direct your students to put three blue chips (tens) and six white chips (ones) together. Ask the class what number this makes. (It’s 36!) Keep riffing off of the same number. Have your students add five white chips to their number 36. Ask your students what number they now have. (It’s 41!) Then, take away one blue chip and ask the students what number they have. (It’s 31!)
