Students need to understand place value in order to develop number sense and computational strategies, like breaking apart numbers, understanding the concept of borrowing, and more. In order to help students develop this foundational principle, it's important to invite them to explore place value in creative ways.

This learning center features two different types of cards. One type stacks place values together visually, and students have to count up the amounts. For example, there might be three rectangles that are stacked on top of each other that are each labeled 10,000. Students count up the rectangles as 30,000. Additional piles of rectangles are included for the thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones places.

The other type of cards labels a number with matching place values, except some of the values are left blank. Students follow the directions to fill in the missing numbers. For example, one number might have an 8 in the ten-thousands place and a 0 in the thousands place. The directions tell them to put a 5 in the tens place, an 8 in the hundreds place, and a 0 in the ones place.

This learning center comes with a worksheet where students can write the answer to each card. They draw one card at a time and write the correct number on the line next to that card's number on the worksheet.

All the directions are included for teachers to set up the center using a pocket folder and for students to complete the center independently at their desk.