Place Value: Tens and Ones for Grade 1

Place value helps students understand that numbers are built in parts. In Grade 1, children learn that two-digit numbers have tens and ones, and that grouping makes counting bigger numbers easier.

Bundles of Ten

A group of 10 ones can be bundled into one ten. That makes counting and reading larger numbers much easier.

If you have 14 cubes, you can think of them as 1 ten and 4 ones. Instead of counting every cube one by one, place value lets you describe the number in parts.

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Example 14 = 1 ten and 4 ones.

Read Two-Digit Numbers

In a two-digit number, the first digit tells how many tens there are. The second digit tells how many ones there are.

In 32, the 3 means 3 tens and the 2 means 2 ones. That is 30 + 2.

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Example 32 = 3 tens and 2 ones.

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Tip Say the tens first, then the ones: "three tens, two ones."

Teen Numbers Are Special

Teen numbers are really place-value numbers too. The number 17 means 1 ten and 7 ones.

This idea helps children move from kindergarten counting into first-grade place value. Teen numbers are the bridge between simple counting and larger numbers.

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Example 17 = 10 + 7.

Compare Numbers with Tens First

When comparing two-digit numbers, look at the tens first. If one number has more tens, it is greater.

If the tens are the same, compare the ones. For example, 28 is greater than 24 because both have 2 tens, but 8 ones is more than 4 ones.

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Example 35 > 29 because 3 tens is more than 2 tens.

📝 Key Vocabulary

Place value

The value of a digit based on where it is in a number

Tens

Groups of ten ones

Ones

Single units

📐 Standards Alignment

1.NBT.B.2 CCSS.MATH

Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represent amounts of tens and ones.

1.NBT.B.3 CCSS.MATH

Compare two two-digit numbers based on meanings of the tens and ones digits.

🔗 Glossary Connections

Place Value Place value tells us what a digit is worth because of where it is in the number. Digit A digit is one number symbol like 3 or 7. Tens Tens are bundles made from 10 ones. Ones Ones are single things that have not been grouped into a ten. Teen Numbers Teen numbers are numbers like 11, 12, and 17. They are 10 and some more.

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Watch For

Reading 14 as 4 tens and 1 one
Comparing the ones digit before the tens digit
Forgetting that the same digit can have a different value in a different place

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Real-World Connection Place value is useful when counting money, reading house numbers, keeping score, and understanding calendars and clocks.

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Fun Fact! Base-ten blocks are called that because our number system is built around groups of ten.