Place Value to 1,000: Hundreds, Tens and Ones (2nd Grade)

What is it?

Each digit in a three-digit number tells how many hundreds, tens or ones it has. Base-ten blocks make that visible: a small cube is one, a rod of ten cubes is a ten, and a flat of ten rods is a hundred. The lesson builds 342, then takes the tens away to show why 302 needs a zero: the zero holds the tens place so the 3 still means hundreds.

Step by step: 3 hundreds, 4 tens, 2 ones

1. Ten ones make one ten.
2. Ten tens make one hundred.
3. Build 3 hundreds, 4 tens and 2 ones. That is 342 (three hundred forty-two).
4. Now take the tens away. There are no tens, so write a zero in the tens place.
5. 3 hundreds, 0 tens and 2 ones is 302 (three hundred two).

Common mistakes

• Leaving out the zero and writing 32 for three hundred two.
• Writing the number the way it sounds, like 3002 for three hundred two.
• Reading digits as single numbers: the 4 in 342 is 4 tens, which is 40.

Your turn

The lesson ends with a problem to try. Pause and let your child work it out before you check.

What number is 4 hundreds, 0 tens and 5 ones?

Answer: 405 (four hundred five). There are no tens, so the tens place is a zero.

Practice at home

Use bundles of 10 straws or sticks, held with a rubber band, and singles for the ones. Build numbers like 135 or 208 and write them down, saying each digit's place. For 1 hundred, bundle 10 tens together.