Have you ever witnessed kids scratching their heads about why 546 is not read as five four six, but five hundred forty-six?
While learning counting in the early years, kids unknowingly learn about place value concepts. This is the concept that helps them read a number accurately. Whether it is about counting money, reading date and time, or doing basic calculations, place value forms the foundation of comprehending numbers right.
For the kids to develop an understanding of place value concepts, they need to bring flexibility in their learning and engage in logical thinking, rather than rote memorization of the concepts. However, little learners can sometimes find the place value lessons a bit boring and monotonous.
To make the place value easy and fun for young minds, we have carefully drafted a systematic place value lesson plan to educate them on the fundamentals of place value. Before moving to the lesson plan, let’s cover some challenges that make place value challenging to kids.
Let’s get started!
Challenges faced by kids while learning place value
Place value is a significant math concept that is useful for mathematical computations. With the help of place value, kids learn to represent the numerical values and understand how to read those values. However, the concept could be challenging for some kids due to its abstractness and logical interpretations.
Some major challenges faced by kids while learning place value are-
1. Confusion between place value and face value
Place value and face value are interrelated but, at the same time, are different from each other. Both are crucial for representing and calculating numbers and integers, but both have their own significance. Place value is the position of a particular digit in a number, whereas face value is the actual value of the number. For instance, 7645. Here, the place value of 7 is 7000, and the face value is 7.
2. Difficulty making real-life associations
Kids find most of the math concepts just theoretical and cannot see their practical use. Place value is one of those concepts. Although, in reality, place value holds an essential position in real life. Many daily-life tasks, such as counting money, wouldn’t be possible without place value. The inability to associate the concept with real-life uses leads to shallow learning and understanding of the concept.
3. Use of decimals
Finding the place value of natural numbers is comparatively easy. However, when kids are exposed to decimal values, they easily get overwhelmed and frustrated. Children find it confusing whether to check the place value of the digits before the decimal or after it and why not of both. Not only for elementary school kids, reading decimal values is a challenge for middle and high school students, too.
4. Lack of systematic learning
It is necessary to introduce place values gradually and systematically to young kids. The concept, though easy, can easily become complex and challenging. The large numbers and commas can be overwhelming for little learners and can cause confusion.
Place value follows a sequence of the values according to which a particular number is read and presented. Following and understanding this sequence creates confusion and adds to the difficulty for students. Hence, it is important to be detailed, systematic, and clear while explaining place values and the related concepts to the kids.
A comprehensive lesson plan for place value
A place value lesson plan is a thoughtfully designed plan curated to educate the kids on the basics of writing and reading the numbers. The lesson plan is structured to make children competent in numbers and reading them, regardless of how large or small the numbers may be.
The place value lesson plan provides a comprehensive learning experience for little learners and involves two major sub-topics necessary for understanding the core of place values. The sub-topics involve-
- Understanding the international system of place value
- Understanding how to read numbers as per the international system of place value.
Moving ahead, the lesson plan has some carefully thought-out objectives and is formulated according to the kid’s level of understanding and needs. The objectives of the place value lesson plan are-
- Children will learn the concept of place value.
- Children will learn how to expand and write a number in the international place value system.
- Children will learn how to write numerals for expanded forms of different numbers.
The lesson plan begins with an ice-breaker storytelling activity that will help educators set the pace of the learning and develop the environment required for teaching place value to the little learners. The ice-breaker activity is a sound way to intrigue kids and simultaneously provides an idea of the concept the lesson will cover: place values.
Once kids know the concepts of ones, tens, and hundreds, we can move ahead to the fun yet educational place-value activities that are part of the lesson plan.
Activity 1:
This is the most simple yet crucial activity as it will test the understanding of the place value basics of the kids and will ensure that kids are set to move to more complex levels of place value concepts.
There are various abacuses and numeral values given, and the space for ones, tens, and hundreds is provided in each abacus. Kids must draw the rings in each abacus as per the given values.
For instance, 543.
It can be segregated as 500, 40, and 3. 500 represents hundreds, 40 represents tens, and 3 represents ones. Accordingly, in the abacus, 5 rings will be drawn in H, 4 in T, and 3 in O.
Activity 1 will lay the foundation for more complex levels of place value systems, such as thousands, ten thousand, and hundred thousand. Further, once this is clear, educators can enhance the level and introduce millions, ten million, and hundred million to the kids.
Try to progress slowly at this stage, as the concept may sound easy, but the large values can easily confuse the kids. Introduce the larger values gradually and systematically and ensure that kids follow up at each level.
The later activities in the lesson plan will test whether the kids have grasped the complex place value concepts or not.
Activity 2:
Activity 2 involves a place value chart that is easy to print or draw. Place value positions from one to billion are written horizontally in the chart, and some numerical values are given. Ask kids to read and insert those values in the chart based on the written place value positions. It is a wonderful activity to teach kids how to read the numerals and what is the magnitude of each number.
Activity 3:
Activity 3 is a great activity to educate kids on how to expand the numerical values. The activity involves a grid chart that is easy to print. Certain numerical values are given along with the grid that has to be inserted in the grid based on the international place value system.
First, the given number has to be expanded, such as 567,432; the expanded form will be 500,000, 60,000, 7000, 400, 30, and 2. Now, this expanded form has to be carefully inserted into the grid. The activity will explain how numbers are positioned and what value each number holds.
Activity 4:
The activity further strengthens the understanding of expanded numbers of place value. In this activity, a number is given, and kids have to circle the correct answer from the three options relevant to the question.
More precisely, from the given numeric value, a certain digit’s place value must be identified in its expanded form from the given options. The activity will strengthen the abilities required for reading the numbers accurately.
Activity 5:
The final activity of the place value lesson plan aims to assess if kids can accurately identify and write the compacted numeral values from the expanded form. In the activity, certain expanded forms of numerals are given, and kids must write them in numerical forms.
The lesson plan is a wholesome plan that covers the basics and advanced levels of place value systems and focuses on different aspects of place value. After completing the place value lesson plan, students can successfully carry out place value-related mathematical operations in both theory and practical life.
Strategies to overcome place value challenges
Various unique and creative strategies are available for educators to make the concept of place value easy to understand and apply. These strategies will provide a concrete base for the kids and will assist the educators in making the concept easy to comprehend. The strategies involve-
1. Place value charts
Place value charts are a great tool to help kids visualize the concept and practice it practically. Various types of customizable charts are available for educators to use in their classrooms to facilitate place-value learning.
2. Place value manipulatives
Place value manipulatives are a great way to experiment with the concept and learn at one’s own pace. It provides freedom to the kids to assess the concept with their level of understanding and gain knowledge with trial and error and constant practice
3. Place value activities
Teaching kids place value is fun with place value activities. These activities allow kids to enjoy while learning one of the most important math concepts. Teachers can customize these activities and use them to introduce the concepts to the kids systematically.
4. Place value games
Plenty of place value board games, online games, online apps, and whatnot are available that are creatively designed for young learners to help them understand the basics of place value and, with enough practice, master the advanced level of place value concepts.
5. Real-life applications
Place value is important in real life, so educating kids using real-life applications and examples is a great way to ensure that kids successfully understand the concepts. Educators can encourage kids to engage in real-life activities that involve place value or brainstorm different areas where place value is used.
Bottom line
Place value is an important math concept that helps understand the magnitude of the numbers and what significance each digit holds in the numbers. The place value lesson plan is a great tool at the teacher’s disposal to educate the kids fundamentals of place value and simultaneously make the understanding fun and creative.
I am Sehjal Goel, a psychology student, and a writer. I am currently pursuing my Masters’s from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Child psychology has always fascinated me and I have a deep interest in learning about disabilities in children and spreading awareness regarding the same. My other areas of interest are neuropsychology and cognitive psychology. Connect me on Linkedin