Understanding digits. Understanding place value begins with understanding that there are nine digits in the base ten number system. These digits are 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.

It is often fun to ask students why 10 is not in this range. We all learn to count up to ten first when we were toddlers.

See if they can discover that the number 10 is made by using a 1 and a 0 from the set of provided digits. Once your student can see that we use the digits 0-9 to create numbers, a good beginning activity is to ask students to write multiple digit numbers.

To do this, you might say:

Write a two-digit number. The student might write: 45

Then you might follow up and ask them to write another two-digit number or grow more prominent in your digits up to 5 or 6. Students often enjoy creating these large numbers. Remember, here, students are simply learning that the digits 0-9 are the only ones in our base-ten number system, much like the letters A through Z are the only ones in the English language.
 

Understanding the Ones Place.

Once your student understands digits, begin with the concept that when we explore single-digit numbers, we use ones, or single blocks, to create these numbers.

You can show this by building numbers using single blocks. You may even provide 9 blocks to your student so that they can make the numbers out of blocks with you. The image below is an example of building three different numbers:
 

Show your student that you are using blocks of one when you build each of these single-digit numbers. Therefore numbers that use single blocks, such as 8 in the example, are known as ones. Here we would say the number 8 is eight ones. Repeat this with the numbers 5 and 4, describing them as five ones and four ones, respectively. You may choose to have your student continue to build more single-digit numbers and name them as the number of ones. You will want your student to get used to identifying these numbers as the number of ones because as they move on to multi-digit numbers, they will need to be specific when describing the place value of these numbers.

To describe single-digit numbers using place value. A conversation you will want to have your student grow comfortable with is the question process of:

1. What is the place of your number?

2. What is the value of your number?

With single-digit numbers, this task is relatively easy. The number 5, for example, responds to the first question with ones and the second question with five. Practice this conversation with the single-digit numbers with your student. Growing comfortable with understanding the place is the location of the number, and value is the amount the number is worth is imperative as their exploration of place value expands into multi-digit numbers.

Understanding the Tens Place.

Now that your student has mastered the concepts of digits and the ones place, it is time to move on to the all-important tens place. The tens place can become a tricky concept for young learners, as it can often be difficult for them to identify a single rod or block as a “grouping often.” You may begin by having students count out ten ones and often line those up against a rod or block. See the example below.
 

Engage them in a discussion that allows them to determine that ten ones are often equal to one block as they begin to understand this, set up twenty ones blocks (without telling them how many there are) and two tens blocks. See the example below.
 

Without asking them to physically count anything, ask them which one they’d preferred to count. Kids will likely choose the tens blocks as it appears like there is less work there. Count both sets aloud for them, reminding them that those blocks are worth or valued at ten and need to be counted accordingly when you count the tens blocks.

Now that your students understand the idea of the rod as a group of ten set up something similar to this for your students to count. See the example below.
 

Remind them that when they count these rods, they are counting by tens. Extend this practice by having students build the numbers you say, for example, fifty, seventy, or thirty. 

Understanding tens and ones together. As your student has explored tens and ones separately, begin an introduction, we use tens and ones to create two-digit numbers. In the number 34, for example, we use 3 tens blocks to make the 30 and 4 ones blocks to make the 4. Show additional models like the ones below, asking students to identify how many tens and how many ones there are in each of the numbers. 

End of lesson:

Below you’ll find links to printable worksheets for identifying place value, as well as interactive games.
Identify tens and ones. Search for Grade 1 or Grade 2 Place Value Worksheets

• https://practithink.com/printable-worksheets/identifying-tens-and-ones