How to use a place value chart
Every digit in a number has a value that depends on its place. In 4,305.27 the 4 is worth 4,000, the 3 is worth 300 and the 7 is worth 7 hundredths. A place value chart puts each digit in its own column, so students can see that each place is worth ten times the place to its right.
- Write the number with one digit per column, lining up the ones place (or the decimal point) first.
- Read each column name: the digit times the place value is the value of that digit.
- Write the expanded form by adding the values: 4,305.27 = 4,000 + 300 + 5 + 0.2 + 0.07. Zeros are placeholders, so the tens place adds nothing here.
Place value chart with decimals
To the right of the decimal point the places get ten times smaller: tenths (0.1), hundredths (0.01) and thousandths (0.001). There is no "oneths" place, which is why the chart is symmetrical around the ones place, not the decimal point. Choose thousandths in the Decimals menu for a decimal place value chart, or None for whole numbers only.
| Grade | Typical chart | Common Core |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tens and ones | 1.NBT.B.2 |
| 2nd | Hundreds, tens, ones | 2.NBT.A.1 |
| 4th | Whole numbers to 1,000,000 | 4.NBT.A.2 |
| 5th | Millions to thousandths | 5.NBT.A.3 |
Blank, filled or practice sheets
A blank place value chart has empty rows for students to write in. Fill in my numbers places your numbers digit by digit and adds the expanded form underneath, which works well as an answer key or a reference poster. Practice prints each number on the left with empty columns to fill, and Random numbers makes a new set that fits the chart, with some zeros so students meet placeholders. Color by period groups the ones, thousands and millions in different colors; black and white saves ink. For first grade, choose Tens to get a simple tens and ones place value chart with big boxes, and every version prints as a one-page place value chart printable on Letter or A4.
For counting and skip counting, try the hundreds chart; for decimals and fractions on a line, the number line maker.
How we tested this tool
We checked the maker by script in Google Chrome on Windows. For 1,008 random numbers across every place and decimal setting, all 6,762 digits landed in the right column, the digits read back as the original number, and every expanded form added up exactly to its number, with no zero terms. Inputs with too many places, more decimals than the chart shows, or letters are rejected with a message instead of being squeezed in. We then checked 784 layouts (paper, places, decimals, modes, 1 to 10 rows, up to 8 numbers) for text that overlaps, leaves its column or runs off the page: the first run caught long names like Thousandths crowding each other on the widest chart, so header text is now sized to its column. We printed the chart to PDF with Microsoft Edge on US Letter and A4 (one landscape page each) and tested the page at a 375 px phone width.
Frequently asked questions
What is a place value chart?
A table with one column for each place in a number: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands and so on, plus tenths, hundredths and thousandths after the decimal point. Writing a number one digit per column shows what each digit is worth.
How do you read a decimal place value chart?
Read the whole number part, say “and” at the decimal point, then read the digits after it as one number named after the last place. 3.47 is three and forty-seven hundredths, because the 7 is in the hundredths place.
Can I print a blank place value chart?
Yes. Choose Blank chart and pick 1 to 10 rows. You can still choose the places, decimals, colors and paper size, and save it as a PDF.
How do I write a number in expanded form?
Multiply each digit by its place value and add them up, skipping zeros: 52,036 = 50,000 + 2,000 + 30 + 6. Choose Fill in my numbers and tick Add expanded form to print it under the chart.
Why are the columns grouped in threes?
Large numbers are read in periods of three places: ones, thousands, millions, billions. Each period has hundreds, tens and ones, which is also where the commas go in 2,345,678.
Which place value chart should I use for 4th or 5th grade?
Fourth grade usually works with whole numbers up to 1,000,000, so choose Millions with no decimals. Fifth grade adds decimals, so choose Millions with thousandths.