Grade 2 math: Hundreds, tens and ones

If your child is in Grade 2, the topic "Hundreds, tens and ones" is one of the ideas where confidence is most often won or lost. Here is what it means in plain words, a worked example you can follow together, and a few simple ways to help at home.

What Grade 2 children learn

• Build 3-digit numbers from hundreds, tens and ones, and say what each digit is worth
• Use a 0 to hold an empty place, so 105 is not 15 or 150
• Find 10 more, 10 less, 100 more and 100 less

The key ideas

• A number can have hundreds, tens and ones. 10 ones make 1 ten, and 10 tens make 1 hundred.
• Where a digit sits tells what it is worth: in 176 the 7 is worth 70.
• A 0 holds a place that is empty: 105 has no tens, so it is not the same as 15 or 150.
• 10 more adds 1 to the tens digit. If the tens digit is 9, the 10 tens make 1 new hundred, so 10 more than 190 is 200. 100 more adds 1 to the hundreds digit.

Quick examples

• 1 hundred, 4 tens and 3 ones make 143
• 105 is 1 hundred, 0 tens and 5 ones: the 0 holds the empty tens place
• 10 ones make 1 ten, and 10 tens make 1 hundred
• 176 = 100 + 70 + 6, and the 7 is worth 70

A worked example

How to help at home

• Ask your child to explain the first step of the worked example in their own words before you show them anything.
• Work through the "Try it yourself" question together, and talk about why the answer makes sense.
• Spend a few minutes a day on the free Tutorizer "Place value" practice. Short and regular beats long and rare.
• If a step feels shaky, go back to the key ideas above and use objects, drawings or a number line.

Try it yourself

Want a challenge?

Next steps