Place value is ultimately the basis of our entire number system. It is an extremely crucial skill that builds the foundation for other core math concepts. For students, it’s a key math ability that helps develop a true sense of numbers. Number sense must be established before learning more complex skills. Since it’s SO important to master, I believe we MUST make it fun!
When it comes to teaching place value, there are so many ways to meet the needs of ALL learners in your classroom in a hands-on way. By using differentiated components during your math instruction, coupled with fun practice time filled with hands-on activities, your students are sure to master this invaluable skill. In this post I am going to share some fun, engaging, and new ways to help your first grade students truly understand place value AND be ready for so many grades to come!
Why Is Place Value So Important?
Place value is a critical foundation in math, encompassing skills like understanding, composing, decomposing, and comparing numbers, and later applying them to operations. Supporting students’ grasp of these concepts is essential, as struggles in place value can snowball into difficulties with advanced math, like fractions and algebra.
This challenge is particularly evident in first grade, where the leap in standards is significant. First graders must master teen numbers, counting, reading and writing numbers to 120, understanding tens and ones, comparing numbers, and adding and subtracting within 100. For six-year-olds, that’s a lot! Building this knowledge requires time, practice, and a strategic approach.
Kindergarten provides a foundation by focusing on numbers 11–19, counting to 100, and comparing numbers through 10. However, the leap to first-grade expectations is substantial. The jump to second grade is even greater, with students tackling numbers through 1,000, three-digit operations, skip counting, and more.
This progression highlights why teaching foundational skills effectively is critical. Missteps early on can lead to challenges later. But with the right strategies, such as the CRA model, three-act tasks, and hands-on activities, we can make learning place value engaging and rigorous.
So let’s dive into how to make these lessons impactful and fun!
Teaching Place Value with The CRA Model
All children bring unique tools, background knowledge, and skills to the classroom. Our challenge is to meet them where they are, bridge gaps, and support their growth. Place value encompasses many skills, and ensuring students master them is crucial.
The CRA model—Concrete, Representational, Abstract—can transform your teaching. It’s a powerful way to help every student succeed, regardless of their learning level. This model breaks math into three stages:
- Concrete Practice: Students use hands-on tools like unifix cubes, ones, tens, and hundreds to build number sense. Manipulating physical objects lays a solid foundation.
- Representations: Students create drawings to represent numbers, building transferable problem-solving tools.
- Abstract: Concepts are introduced to develop mental math and deeper understanding.
This flexible model allows students to progress at their own pace. Some may move directly from concrete to abstract, while others benefit from more time in one stage. The key is providing choices and meeting their needs.
Learn how to implement the CRA model and teach place value effectively HERE!
Let’s look at an example of using the CRA model while learning about comparing numbers. Below are some different ways for students to understand how to compare numbers and understand what numbers mean and represent.
As you can see, these groups of students are working in three different places and need different types of support to help their understanding. They were taught various different strategies and were able to choose how they learn best. They all clearly understand the concept of comparing numbers, but are working with different groups of numbers and using different tools to support them. This is the power of the CRA Model. Students are taught multiple ways, using different supports, and it ensures there are no gaps in their learning because they deeply understand numbers and what they mean.
One thing I have learned throughout the years is that we too quickly move students away from manipulatives before they are ready. Providing students with ample practice and no restrictions on supportive tools helps them develop a strong sense of place value. This reduces the struggle when they get to more complex operations, such as division and algebra, because they truly understand what those operations mean as it relates to numbers and how to do it.
By using the CRA Model and math workshop, I am able to support students WHEREVER they are at and either help them catch up, teach them new skills, or begin to enrich their learning with even more advanced skills. Check out my post on how to successfully implement math workshop HERE! With both of these tools, I promise that ALL of your students will thrive no matter what their needs are. By implementing the CRA Model, I promise you will see a world of difference in the depth of understanding in your students. Stuck on a specific skill and want support with how to teach or differentiate? Email me and I can help!
Make Connections when Teaching Place Value
With anything we teach, it’s important to make connections between the skills or content to the real world for students. They should understand how this matters to them outside of being successful in school. When we can make these connections for students, they can begin to form deeper connections of why we need these skills and how they help us in our world.
One of my favorite ways to help make connections is by using a 3 Act Task. Have you heard of them? They are a great way to get students using ALL the critical thinking skills to solve complex, real world problems. Check out this 3 Act Task designed for first grade place value! Talk about a win! Our class took the challenge and we had the greatest time.
There are so many great ways to make real world connections about place value for our students. Some include explaining how we use numbers everyday in our lives such as counting the number of items at a checkout, handling money, or trying to estimate the amount of things we need for our family.
Make Place Value FUN
Now let’s get to the good stuff! Hands-on activities are a sure fire way to make learning fun! Let’s get into some of students’ favorite engaging place value activities! *Please note that all of these activities have been created for students using the CRA Model to help support their needs.*
Comparing in a concrete way is like playing with Legos! This activity is super simple, low prep, easy to differentiate and fun for everyone. You get number cards and symbol cards for students and they are free to use them however they best make sense for their comparing needs.
The next activity is another fan favorite for comparing. Students have a blast comparing numbers with these differentiated penguins! They get everything they need to compare numbers in multiple forms. Number cards include visual representations, numerals, and equations to give more of a challenge. Students can use these cards with any manipulatives they need to practice comparing while having fun!
The next activity is a guaranteed way to have all of your students telling the entire school you’re the best teacher ever! Ever had a snowball fight in your classroom? This is the most fun game that can be implemented with pretty much any skill! Learn more about them HERE. This Place Value Snowball Fight is SUPER engaging and provides great practice for students working with numerals and visual representation, but you could tailor it however you need!
These are just SOME of the fun and engaging activities found in the Place Value Pack! Check out some more hands-on fun in the pictures below.
Place Value Hands On Activities
Want to get kids up and moving? Your students will love this engaging place value scavenger hunt! You can grab it for FREE now!
WHAT ARE TEACHERS SAYING?
Teachers tell me over and over again how much this resource has helped their students’ understanding of place value. Read below some of the wonderful things teachers have to say.
“Absolutely amazing resource filled with a lot of activities!!”
“Great resources to practice place value. Hands on activities that are crucial for engaging and introducing place value.”
“I like how differentiated these activities are. These activities are hands on which are great for First Graders!”
“There is so much variety in this resource. My favorite activity, that my students loved, is the place value scoot with expanded form and base ten blocks.”
“Great resources to use for independent centers to sharpen skills!”
Grab the jam packed growing place value bundle that is full of tools and resources to support your students learning about place value and building number sense. Whether they need support with teen numbers, more practice with numbers within 120, or are ready for 3 digit numbers, this bundle has got you COVERED! Learn more with the link below.
I really hope you enjoyed learning about how to make teaching place value engaging while also meeting the needs of ALL your students! Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list! Not only will you get the most up to date tips, tricks, and classroom projects… and of course more fun FREEBIES including the Place Value Scavenger Hunt FREEBIE! You will also have exclusive access to tons of digital how-to videos! If you would like to learn about this and other things happening in my classroom follow me @sweetnsauerfirsties on Instagram.
To follow me on TPT and get all the latest updates on HALF OFF new products, click HERE!
Love these ideas but don’t want to lose them? Don’t forget it, PIN it below!
Leave a Reply