Year 1 Place Value Guide

Master Year 1 place value with our expert teaching tips, hands-on activities, and practice problems designed to build number confidence.

Author
Mhairi Sim

Published
February 2026

Year 1 Place Value Guide

Master Year 1 place value with our expert teaching tips, hands-on activities, and practice problems designed to build number confidence.

Author
Mhairi Sim

Published
February 2026

Year 1 Place Value Guide

Master Year 1 place value with our expert teaching tips, hands-on activities, and practice problems designed to build number confidence.

Author
Mhairi Sim

Published
February 2026

Key Takeaways

Year 1 place value is all about confidence within 100, meaning that children should be able to count forwards and backwards from any starting point between 0 and 100

Understanding the relationships between numbers (like one more and one less) matters far more than simply memorising them in order
Hands-on practice with objects, number lines, and fun games is so important for Year 1 students to keep them engaged

Table of contents

If you’re a Year 1 teacher or the parent of a Year 1 child, you’re probably noticing just how often place value comes up! That’s because this concept is one of the most important when it comes to number learning and future maths success. But what does place value mean at the Year 1 level, and what are the best ways to help our little learners build strong foundations with it?

In our Year 1 place value guide, we’ll break down curriculum standards, share teaching tips, and even give you some great activities to try out with your own Year 1 learners!

Key Concepts for Year 1 Place Value

In Year 1, place value is all about building secure foundations in how our number system works. Without this, later place value learning in Year 2 around tens and ones becomes quite tricky. For this year, the focus should be on fluency, confidence, and a strong understanding of numbers to 100.

In the English national curriculum for maths, Year 1 place value learning falls into four general areas:

Counting to and across 100

Our kiddos should be able to count from 0 to 100 forwards and backwards, starting at any given number. This includes confidently crossing boundaries such as 29 to 30 or 40 back to 39. This skill shows that your learners understand number patterns rather than simply reciting a sequence.

Reading, writing, and counting numbers to 100

Within this area, our pupils are expected to be competent in a few different tasks that show they can recognise numbers and easily spot the patterns within number sequences. These include:

- Reading and writing numbers up to 100 in numerals (e.g. 47)
- Reading and writing numbers from 0 to 20 in numerals and words (e.g. 47 and forty-seven)
- Counting in multiples of 2, 5, and 10 (also known as skip counting)

One more and one less

Our Year 1 learners should also be able to confidently identify one more and one less than any given number. For example:

- One more than 18 is 19
- One less than 30 is 29

Comparing numbers and using mathematical language

Finally, our students also need to be able to identify and represent numbers using objects and pictorial representations, including using a number line, with the purpose of comparing the amounts. Being able to compare amounts and discuss differences supports our kids with mathematical reasoning. Their ability to use mathematical language is key to comparison, and learners should be encouraged to use words and phrases like:

- Equal to
- More than
- Less than
- Most
- Least

Place Value Models (Tens and Ones)

Even though our Year 1s aren’t formally required to be using tens and ones partitioning (that starts in Year 2), it doesn’t hurt to introduce simple models and visuals that get them ready for this upcoming learning. We do this by:

Using base-10 blocks – showing numbers on ten blocks or encouraging learners to group items in amounts they can skip count easily are all early building blocks
Grouping beads – ten beads grouped on one string to make a set (or a “ten”) helps children see how a group of ten is made up of ten individual “ones”.

Unlock unlimited maths questions

Put your skills to the test with fun exercises + maths games that are proven to boost ability!

Try DoodleMaths for free!

Select a year group

Number
Shape, space and measure
Patterns
Number and place value
Addition and subtraction
Multiplication and division
Operations (ASMD)
Fractions
Measure
Shape/geometry
Statistics
Ratio and proportion
Algebra
Probability

How to Teach Year 1 Place Value

1. Start by counting

Counting is at the core of our Year 1 place value learning, and it’s not just about rote recitation. Activities that make counting meaningful and utilise counting in different ways are the best way to build familiarity with the structure of numbers and improve fluency. Simple examples I’ve used in my own teaching are:

Counting forward and backwards from many numbers up to 100
Skip counting in 2s, 5s, 10s and discussing the patterns that come up (e.g. 20, 30, 40)
Ask questions that encourage reasoning skills and build maths vocabulary around counting concepts, such as:
- What number comes next/before?
- What number is between __ and __?
- What’s one more/less than…?

2. Develop number sense on a number line

Once our learners are confident counters, it’s time to explore numerical reasoning and comparing numbers. Using a number line is a great way to do this, as kids can try methods like:

Put counters on different numbers, then discuss who is further along
Compare numbers by observing which is further to the right (greater) or the left (smaller)

3. Use concrete materials

Getting hands-on with maths is often the best way for our littlest learners to really understand tricky concepts. Cubes, blocks, counters, toys, buttons – anything can be used to help demonstrate place value learning. Setting up stations with different items and having kids group them into bundles of tens to show that a “ten” is made up of ten “ones”.

Place Value Activities for Year 1

Exciting, hands-on activities are so important for engaging our little learners and making the concepts come alive. We’ve gathered a list of our favourite Year 1 place value activities for you to try out with your own students, either at home or in the classroom:

Number Line Hop

Create a number line on the floor or outside in the playground and call out a number for your kiddos to jump on. You can then call out instructions like “Go to a bigger number”, “Go to the number before 5”, or “Go to the smallest number”.

Mystery Number game

Think of a number, then give your learners clues so they can work out what your number is. E.g. “I’m thinking of a number greater than 14, but less than 18.” Turn it into a class game by giving everyone a number line and having them place a counter on their number guess.

Compare the Cards

Show two number cards to your learners, then ask them to compare the numbers and decide which is largest and which is smallest.

One More, One Less stations

Set up stations with challenges like this one, where learners must find one more and one less of given numbers. Hands-on activities are best, so try to use materials that link to a class topic, or use toys to engage the kiddos with learning.

Number Card Sorting

Give your learners some number cards and challenge them to compare and organise the cards. They can first organise from biggest to smallest, then smallest to biggest, then sort them into groups, e.g. greater than 10, less than 10.

100 Square Treasure Hunt

Give learners a 100 square and then call out clues like:

“Find a number that is one more than 37.”
“Circle a number that is less than 30.”
“Colour the number between 58 and 60 blue.”

Not only is this activity great for reinforcing place value learning, but it’s also an excellent listening task as kiddos must listen to and follow your instructions each time!

Build the Number

Use Duplo, LEGO, or any other buildable blocks for this activity. Call out a number, or set up stations with number cards, and have your kiddos build something using that number of bricks. It’s a fun and creative way to reinforce number representation and counting!

Human Number Line

Start by giving your students number cards and ask them to get in order across the room. Once everyone is lined up in the correct position, call out questions like:

“Who is greater than 15?”
“Who is less than 8?”
“Who is between 11 and 13?”

The children who have numbers that apply to each statement can step forward, and the rest of the class can say if they’re correct or not. This activity is great as a brain break and is super engaging for everyone!

Number Word Match

This game is played like a game of ‘memory’, except that matching pairs are matching numerals and written numbers, e.g. 13 and thirteen. Have your learners play in pairs and lay out all the cards face down, and then let them take turns to turn over two cards to find a match. The player with the most correctly matched pairs wins!

Number of the Day

Number of the Day is a simple yet effective activity you can use either in class or at home. Simply pick and share your number of the day with learners, then explore it in different ways. For example:

Write it as numerals
Write it in words
Represent it with objects
Find one more and one less
Count forward and backwards from it
Decide if it is more or less than 50

Building this into your learners’ daily routine will make them more familiar with the number system, help them recognise patterns and develop their ability to compare and reason mathematically.

Doodle Maths app

Our DoodleLearning maths app is a fantastic resource for Year 1 place value learning. The app is packed with fun, curriculum-aligned games that aim to build users’ confidence and boost maths ability with just 10 minutes of play per day.