Year 2 · Mathematics · Number
Place value to 1000
Reading, writing, ordering and building numbers to 1000 as hundreds, tens and ones, and finding 10 more, 10 less, 100 more and 100 less.
Awaiting educator review. This material was drafted by our content team with AI assistance and is waiting for review by a qualified educator. Please check it suits your child before using it. Created 10 October 2026.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Represent three-digit numbers as hundreds, tens and ones.
- Explain the value of each digit in a three-digit number.
- Compare and order numbers to 1000.
- Find 10 or 100 more and less than a given number.
Success looks like
- I can build a number like 427 with hundreds, tens and ones.
- I can say what each digit is worth.
- I can put three-digit numbers in order from smallest to largest.
- I can find 10 more or 100 more than a number.
The big idea
In Year 1, children learnt that ten ones make one ten. Now we take the next step: ten tens make one hundred. Bundle ten bundles of ten sticks together with a big rubber band to show a hundred.
In a three-digit number, each digit has a job depending on its place. In 427, the 4 means 4 hundreds (400), the 2 means 2 tens (20) and the 7 means 7 ones (7). We can write this in expanded form: 400 + 20 + 7.
Zero is important. In 703 there are 7 hundreds, no tens and 3 ones. Without the zero, it would look like 73, a very different number.
To compare numbers, start with the biggest place. 839 and 893 both have 8 hundreds, so look at the tens: 3 tens is less than 9 tens, so 839 is smaller.
To find 10 more, only the tens digit goes up by one: 245 becomes 255. To find 100 more, only the hundreds digit goes up: 672 becomes 772. Watch out when a digit is 9 — 395 + 10 is 405, because 10 tens become a new hundred.
Numbers can also be split in non-standard ways. 250 is 2 hundreds and 5 tens, but it is also 25 tens. This flexible thinking makes mental addition and subtraction much easier later.
Worked examples
Building a number
Build 362 using bundles of sticks.
- The 3 is in the hundreds place, so take 3 bundles of one hundred.
- The 6 is in the tens place, so take 6 bundles of ten.
- The 2 is in the ones place, so take 2 single sticks.
- Check: 300 + 60 + 2 = 362.
Answer: 362 is 3 hundreds, 6 tens and 2 ones.
Ordering numbers
Put 389, 398 and 839 in order from smallest to largest.
- Look at the hundreds: 389 and 398 have 3 hundreds; 839 has 8 hundreds, so 839 is the largest.
- Compare 389 and 398 using the tens: 8 tens is less than 9 tens.
- So 389 is smaller than 398.
Answer: 389, 398, 839
Ten more across a hundred
What is 10 more than 395?
- 395 has 9 tens. Adding one more ten makes 10 tens.
- 10 tens make a new hundred, so the hundreds go from 3 to 4 and the tens become 0.
- The ones stay as 5.
Answer: 10 more than 395 is 405.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
What number is 4 hundreds, 2 tens and 7 ones?
427 — 400 + 20 + 7 = 427.
What is the value of the 6 in 361?
60 — The 6 is in the tens place, so it is worth 6 tens, which is 60.
Which number is the largest?
893 — 839 and 893 both have 8 hundreds. 893 has 9 tens, which is more than 3 tens, so 893 is largest.
Write this number: 500 + 30 + 8
538 — 5 hundreds, 3 tens and 8 ones make 538.
What is 10 more than 245?
255 — Adding 10 makes the tens digit go up by one: 4 tens becomes 5 tens, so 255.
What is 100 more than 672?
772 — Adding 100 makes the hundreds digit go up by one: 6 hundreds becomes 7 hundreds, so 772.
Which description matches the number 703?
7 hundreds, 0 tens and 3 ones — In 703 the 7 is in the hundreds place, 0 is in the tens place and 3 is in the ones place.
How many tens are there altogether in 250?
25 — Each hundred is 10 tens, so 2 hundreds is 20 tens. Add the 5 tens to get 25 tens.
Watch out for
- Writing three hundred and four as 3004. Build it and show that 300 + 4 is written 304, with 0 holding the tens place.
- Thinking the number with the biggest ones digit is the largest (for example, choosing 189 over 312). Always compare from the left.
- Forgetting to regroup when 10 more crosses a hundred (saying 10 more than 395 is 3105). Use bundles to show 10 tens becoming a hundred.
Tips for parents
- Money is a great place-value tool: $100, $10 and $1 notes or coins show hundreds, tens and ones.
- Ask 'What is this digit worth?' often, not just 'What digit is in the tens place?'
- Read house numbers, prices and page numbers aloud together and talk about the digits.
Go further
- Draw three number cards and make the largest and smallest three-digit numbers possible.
- Play 'Race to 1000': roll a dice and add that many tens each turn, recording the running total.
- Find three-digit numbers in a catalogue or junk mail and order them from smallest to largest.