Hundreds, tens, and ones in numbers like 706
In 2nd grade, children learn that the three digits of a number like 706 stand for hundreds, tens, and ones.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
Try these with your child
These are real questions from our 2nd grade practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
How many hundreds are in 300?
- 3
- 30
- 300
Why this matters
Place value is how your child makes sense of every bigger number they will meet. Hundreds, tens, and ones follow the same pattern they learned in 1st grade, one step bigger, and it is what makes adding and subtracting three-digit numbers make sense. In 3rd grade they use it to round to the nearest 10 or 100, and in 4th grade the pattern continues into thousands. It also helps with reading prices, distances, and page numbers.
Where kids can get stuck
- Treating zero as nothing at all, writing 76 for seven hundred six because the tens place seems empty.
- Reading the 4 in 482 as four, not four hundred, and building it with 4 single blocks.
- Missing that 10 tens make 1 hundred, so being puzzled that 13 tens and 130 are the same amount.
How you can help
- Show 235 cents with bills and coins: 2 one-dollar bills, 3 dimes, and 5 pennies. Talk about how each dollar is 100 cents, each dime is 10, and each penny is 1.
- Read three-digit numbers on house addresses, buses, or page numbers, and ask your child what each digit is worth. Pick some with a zero in the middle, like 507.
- Bundle 100 pieces of pasta or toothpicks into ten groups of ten with string or rubber bands, so your child can see and hold what one hundred looks like.
The kid-friendly video below is a nice one to watch together. For more, Bobby's Math Club has free practice at your child’s level.
Kid-friendly explanation
Questions parents ask
Why is my child learning place value with hundreds, tens, and ones?
Knowing what each digit is worth helps your child read, compare, add, and subtract larger numbers with understanding. Seeing that 10 tens make a hundred, in the same way 10 ones make a ten, shows that our number system follows one pattern. This makes later work with bigger numbers less confusing.
Why is a zero in the middle of a number so tricky?
A zero in a number like 706 shows there are no tens, but it still holds the place so the 7 stays in the hundreds spot. Children often leave it out because they hear "seven hundred six" with no tens mentioned. Building the number with hundreds and ones only, and no tens, helps make the zero's job clear.
What comes after hundreds, tens, and ones?
In 2nd grade, children also count, read, write, and compare numbers up to 1,000, and add and subtract within 1,000. In 3rd grade, they round to the nearest 10 or 100. In 4th grade, place value extends to thousands and larger whole numbers, and later to decimals.
Make learning math fun
Bobby's Math Club turns 2nd grade math practice into something fun to do together.
- Unlimited free practice
- A few minutes a day, at just the right level
- Hints when they are stuck, and a celebration when it clicks
Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
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Join the clubNote for teachers: This skill is covered by Common Core math standard 2.NBT.A.1: “Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases: a. 100 can be thought of as a bundle of ten tens called a "hundred." b. The numbers 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine hundreds (and 0 tens and 0 ones).” Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow. (Common Core 2.NBT.1)