8 Children’s Books to Teach Place Value
Place value is the value of each digit in a number. The digits can be the same but where they are placed can change their value. This can be a tricky concept for children to grasp so we’ve gathered up this list of books to teach place value to help you dive into this difficult math concept.
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Place Value Books
Place Value – 216 and 612 have the same numbers but they don’t equal the same value. These silly monkeys are baking the biggest cupcake ever but they’ve got to get the numbers right.
Penguin Place Value – The charming illustrations and captivating story featuring cute penguins will engage young learners as they learn about place value.
Zero the Hero – Nobody else things very much of zero. In fact, they think he’s pretty useless but he will prove them wrong!
How Much is a Million? – Million, billion, and trillion are big numbers but how big? The fun illustrations in this book will help kids to understand the value of larger numbers.
The Chicken Problem – Peg and Cat have a problem. That problem keeps getting bigger and chickens are on the loose. This fun story and great pictures help children understand place value and other math concepts.
Two of Everything – Based on a Chinese folk tale this fun and whimsical story explores a problem caused by a magical pot. What could go wrong when there are two of everything?
A Million Dots – Larger numbers can be hard to grasp but the illustrations and fun facts in this book make them easier to understand.
Math Fables – Although not specifically about place value this book provides a great foundation to math that leads to understanding of place value. The rhyming fables also have a good moral at the end.
Activities for Teaching Place Value
Books are great for introducing new math concepts. After you have read a few place value books, it is helpful to do some activities that can reinforce these new concepts. Here are a few fun ones.

Legos are fun and with this set of printable worksheets from Steam Powered Family, kids are learning about place value in an exciting and familiar way. Mastering and understanding place value is imperative for advanced calculations.
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