Place value: tens and ones
Each digit's position tells you its value: the ‘3’ in 34 means 3 tens (30), not just ‘three’.
Place value is the single most important idea in KS1 maths. The digit ‘3’ means different things in 3, 34 and 137. Once a child sees that a digit's position is the multiplier, addition, subtraction and later multiplication all become easier.
Worked examples
34 = 3 tens + 4 ones = 30 + 4.
57 = 5 tens + 7 ones = 50 + 7.
The 4 in 14 is worth 4. The 4 in 41 is worth 40. Same digit, different value.
Frequently asked questions
Should we use Dienes blocks?
Yes — the rods (tens) and small cubes (ones) make place value visible. Many UK schools use them in Year 1; a cheap home set helps.
My child writes 41 instead of 14 — why?
The digit names are reversed in English (‘fourteen’ says four first but the 1 is the tens). Practise writing the tens column first, then the ones.
When do they get to hundreds?
End of Year 2 introduces hundreds; KS2 takes it through to millions in Year 6.