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In 47, the 4 is not four. It is forty — four groups of ten. This one idea, place value, is behind column addition, mental maths, rounding and almost everything children do with larger numbers. Drawing tens as rods and ones as small cubes lets children see the groups, so that the digits finally mean something.
Best for ages 5–8
It is the idea that a digit is worth more or less depending on where it stands. In 352, the 3 means three hundreds, the 5 five tens and the 2 two ones.
Tens and ones usually around 6 or 7, hundreds around 7 or 8, and thousands around 9. It is worth revisiting at every step, because every new written method depends on it.
Ask "how many tens are in 47?" and "what is ten more than 47?". A child who answers 4 and 57 without counting has understood; one who counts on one by one needs more work with groups.
Prefer practising on a tablet? Adaptive maths practice — offline, safe and free on Google Play.