Are you looking for strategies to help students who have trouble understanding place value? If so, keep reading.
1. Create a math reference sheet for the student to keep at their desk (e.g., steps used in doing subtraction, multiplication, addition, and division problems).
2. Get the student to check their math assignments using a calculator to reinforce learning math facts.
3. Get the student to practice regrouping a number in various positions and determining its value (e.g., 372, 627, 721).
4. Get the student to talk through math problems as they are solving them to find place value errors the student is making.
5. Get the student to use a calculator to reinforce learning math facts. Get the student to solve several problems each day using a calculator.
6. Make sure the student has mastery of math ideas at each level before introducing a new skill level.
7. Make sure the student has the prerequisite skills to learn place value (e.g., counting, writing numbers to 100, etc.).
8. Do not require the student to learn more information than they are capable of learning at any time.
9. Teach the student the ideas and terminology appropriate to learn place value (e.g., set, column, middle, left, digit, etc.).
10. Utilize manipulative objects (e.g., base ten blocks, connecting links, etc.) to teach the student place value and to give a visual image.
11. Utilize vertical lines or graph paper to help the student visualize columns and put a single digit in a column.
12. Teach the student that addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems are worked from right to left beginning with the ones column.
13. Teach the student that the collective value of ten “ones” is equal to one “ten” and that ten “tens” is equal to one hundred.
14. Teach the student the zero concept in place value (e.g., there are no tens in the number 207 so a zero is put in the tens column).
15. Money ideas will help the student in learning place value association (e.g., $1.26 is the same as six pennies or six ones; two dimes or two tens; one dollar or one hundred).
16. Give practice with place value using an app or a hand-held educational device that gives instant feedback to the student.
17. Give the student concrete experiences to help them learn and remember math facts.
18. Give the student learning experience s in grouping concrete objects into groups of tens, hundreds, etc. (e.g., popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, paper clips, buttons, etc.).
19. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may cause the student to hurry and make mistakes solving math problems.
20. Get the student to practice labeling columns to represent ones, tens, hundreds, etc.
21. Select a peer to work with the student each day on place value learning activities (e.g., flash cards).
22. Teach the student why they are learning a math concept. Give the student concrete examples and chances for them to apply those ideas in real-life situations.
23. Consider using Alexa for the Math Classroom.
24. Try gamifying your math lessons.
25. Consider using one of the apps and tools from our many math app lists:
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