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Teaching Place Value with Hands-On Manipulatives

We use Base Ten Blocks to teach our children about place value. The basic unit is a 1x1x1cm block and is called a Unit. It represents a "one" in the ones column. A "ten" is represented by a rod which is a strip of 10 units. The "hundred" is called a flat and looks like a square with 100 units. Finally, there's the cube which represents the "thousand."

If you want to show a child that 342 is actually three hundreds, four tens, and two ones, you would display 3 flats, 4 strips, and 2 units. Or you can ask the child to set it up for you with the Base Ten Blocks.

They are very helpful when you teach regrouping. You can visually represent the problem and ask the child to physically regroup the blocks. It helps them to "see" the concept. The Base Ten Blocks are available in either an interlocking starter set or a plastic starter set.

Save on Hands-on Place Value Rods and Base Ten Blocks during our sale.

Another, more compact, way to teach place value is with the Place Value Rods Activity Set. This set of hands-on manipulatives is made of brightly colored plastic "rods" that snap together horizontally or vertically.

Place Value Rods

Place Value Rods Activity Set

Publisher: Learning Resources

The Place Value Rods Activity Set has 70 brightly color-coded rods that teach numeric, written and expanded form of numbers from 1 to 9,999,999. There are 10 rods for each place value: ones, ten, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, and millions.

Each place value rod is labeled with its number and the spelled form of the number. Interestingly, they are capable of connecting from both the top and the side.

An Activity Guide is included in the set. A 9" by 12" double-sided, write-on/wipe-off Activity Card helps the child to visualize place value by putting the rods in the correct place value column.

Grades K to 5

ler5210

List $24.99

Sale Price $19.95

Interlox ™ Base Ten Blocks

Base Ten Blocks Interlocking Starter Set

Publisher: ETA Cuisenaire

The Interlox Base Ten Interlocking Starter Set is made of plastic and the components can be interlocked to teach math concepts, value and grouping.

The Base Ten Interlocking Starter Set for three to four students includes:

100 Units
50 Rods
10 Flats
1 Cube
1 Interlox Base Ten Blocks Activity Guide
1 VersaTote Storage Container

Grades K-6

eta40941

List $39.95

Sale Price $35.95

Base Ten Blocks Plastic Starter Set

Publisher: ETA Cuisenaire

The Blue Plastic Base Ten Plastic Starter Set is made of plastic components for three to four students. It includes:

100 Units
30 Rods
10 Flats
1 Cube
1 Base Ten Activity Book (112-pages )
1 Learning about Base Ten Blocks Activity Guide
1 VersaTote Storage Container

Grades 3-6

eta5556

List $42.95

Sale Price $37.95

Hands-On Math Manipulatives