Place Value Strategies with Eureka Math

The Eureka Math program uses a strategic method of helping kids develop math skills to help them become fluent thinkers. 

As I described in the previous article ​Developing Strong Number Sense with Eureka Math, students take on many fluency methods that are used as addition and subtraction strategies.  Some of the strategies I mentioned were number bonds, using ten as a benchmark, and adding like units.  These fluency strategies lead our students into deeper thinking about what addition and subtraction actually is.  This is also helping students to have a deep number sense foundation that will be tapped into as they continue up in the Eureka Math Program.

After students are familiar with those fluency methods, they will be ready to take on some more understanding of what numbers actually mean.

Using Place Value 

This program relies on the knowledge of place value.  This means, students will learn exactly what the value of a number is instead of just naming the digit.  This is very helpful to create a sense of what that particular number means.  Knowing the base ten place value system is not only a great way to understand what numbers mean.  Students learn to use place value to help them identify the standard form (showing the number by digits) and the expanded form (showing each number by value).

Bundling Numbers

The Eureka Math program begins students’ concept of place value with the concrete method.  One activity that is described in this program as an introduction to give your students a clear understanding of this concept is to show them straws.  Each single straw is worth one.  Then, count out ten straws and use a rubber band to put them together.  The students can see how this becomes a bundle of ten.  Now, bundle ten groups of ten to create a bundle of 100.  

After this experience, students will see bundles in the pictorial form on various worksheets or workbook pages.  Students will see single sticks, bundles of ten, and bundles of 100.  Students are asked to count each group.  They will practice using the bundles to know that four single sticks mean four.  That four bundles of ten mean forty, and four bundles of 100 means four hundred.  

Ordering Numbers

After students are familiar with what numbers in each place value mean, they will become aware of how to properly order numbers.  Students are to pay close attention to the words ones, tens, and hundreds.  They will practice ordering numbers least to greatest and greatest to least by using the value of each digit.

Students will also become familiar with showing a way to count from one number to another using ones, tens and hundreds.  For example: to show how to count from 457 to 700 using ones, tens, and ones, students will count on three more to get to 460 which is a benchmark number.  Then skip count by tens to reach 500.  Then count by hundreds to reach 700.

When students understand place value, it makes it convenient to count up and back between numbers by reaching benchmark numbers and counting by the highest value possible then adding on the ones.

Problem Solving

Students also learn to incorporate using place value strategies to solve word problems.  Students will read the problem for understanding.  For example, Jon wants to skip-count from 350 to 260.  To solve this problem, students can choose from a variety of strategies to show their work.  They can decide to show using bundling, a number line, or place value disks. By providing a variety of ways to use place value to solve problems, students can choose the best strategy for them.

One of the most helpful problem solving strategies students will practice is to complete sets of ten or one hundred.  This idea will provide students opportunities to solve for how many more of an item is needed or how many extra of an item there will be.  These real world ideas help students to put the skills into place immediately.  This helps them to know how this method of thinking will apply to their everyday life to make full meaning of the math skills they have learned.