Place Value to 1,000: Grade 2 Study Guide
Three-digit numbers are built from hundreds, tens and ones. Each place is ten times the one to its right.
Grade 2 extends counting to 1,000. In 364, the 3 means 3 hundreds (300), the 6 means 6 tens (60) and the 4 means 4 ones (4). Ten tens make one hundred, and ten hundreds make one thousand.
Children use base-ten blocks, with flats (100), rods (10) and units (1), to build numbers. Reading numbers aloud and writing them in expanded form (300 + 60 + 4) and number-name form (three hundred sixty-four) all strengthen understanding.
Hundreds, tens and ones
| Number | Hundreds | Tens | Ones | Expanded form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 248 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 200 + 40 + 8 |
| 705 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 700 + 0 + 5 |
| 990 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 900 + 90 + 0 |
| 1,000 | 10 | 0 | 0 | ten hundreds |
Skip counting
Count by 5s, 10s and 100s within 1,000. Counting by 100s from 230 gives 330, 430, 530. Only the hundreds digit changes. Counting by 10s from 395 gives 405, 415, which crosses a hundred.
Comparing three-digit numbers
Compare hundreds first, then tens, then ones. 427 > 389 because 4 hundreds is more than 3 hundreds. 512 < 521 since the hundreds match and 1 ten is less than 2 tens. Use the symbols >, < and =.
Is one number larger?
Which has more?
Choose the larger.
Worked examples and common mistakes
Example: Write 'five hundred six' in digits: 506 (no tens). Example: What is 100 more than 478? 578. Common mistakes: writing 'four hundred twenty' as 4020 and ignoring the zero as a placeholder (so writing 56 for 506). Draw a place value chart to check.
Check your understanding: model answers
1. 600 + 0 + 2. 2. 794, since 9 tens is more than 4 tens. 3. 290.
✨ Key Takeaways
- A three-digit number has hundreds, tens and ones.
- Zero holds an empty place.
- Count by 5s, 10s and 100s.
- Compare from the hundreds place.
💬 Questions for Discussion & Reflection
- Write 602 in expanded form.
- Which is greater: 749 or 794?
- What is 10 less than 300?