Place Value Blocks
Read numbers with base ten blocks, from tens and ones to decimals.
Base ten blocks make big numbers visible, and Place Value Blocks shows numbers the way many classrooms do. Single cubes are ones, rods are tens, flats are hundreds and big cubes are thousands. The child reads a picture and says what number it shows, how many of a place there are, or which group of blocks matches a number.
As levels rise, children compare two groups of blocks, trade ten ones for a ten, and read piles that have not been traded yet. The last level changes the meaning so that a flat is one, a rod is a tenth and a small cube is a hundredth, which introduces decimals with the same pictures.
What children practice
- Read two, three and four digit numbers from base ten blocks
- Tell how many tens, hundreds or ones the blocks show
- Choose the group of blocks that matches a given number
- Compare two groups of blocks, even when one has more pieces
- Trade 10 ones for 1 ten and 10 tens for 1 hundred
- Read decimals using a flat as one and a rod as a tenth
Levels
- Level 1: Tens and ones
- Level 2: Hundreds, tens and ones
- Level 3: Thousands and comparing
- Level 4: Trading and regrouping
- Level 5: Decimals with blocks
How it works
- Five levels run from tens and ones to trading and decimals.
- Most questions are multiple choice, and some show several groups of blocks to tap.
- A wrong answer says try again, and a right one shows the place values added up.
- Questions can be read aloud with the speaker button, which helps children still learning number words.
Best for: A good fit for grades 1 to 5 when a child is learning how digits work in larger numbers or needs a picture for regrouping.
Tip for parents: Use dried beans or coins at home. Ask your child to make 34 with the fewest coins, then trade ten pennies for a dime and say what stayed the same.
Questions parents ask
Does the game cover regrouping?
Yes, Level 4 shows tens and ones where there are ten or more ones and asks how many tens and ones there are after trading. It also shows piles with too many rods to write as one digit.
How are decimals shown?
In Level 5 the prompt says a flat is 1, so a rod is one tenth and a small cube is one hundredth. One flat, three rods and two small cubes is 1.32. Children read, compare and name digits by place.
Do children build numbers themselves?
Some rounds say Tap the blocks that show a number, and the child chooses from several pictured groups. It is a choice among groups, not free building, which keeps the focus on matching a number to its blocks.
Ready to try it?
Place Value Blocks is free with a parent account. A parent adds a child profile, and the child's progress is saved.