Place Value Discs
Place Value Discs is an interactive place value tool where students drag coloured discs into the correct columns to build a target number. It's perfect for exploring place value concepts across a wide range of numbers — from ones all the way up to hundred thousands, and including decimals.
How do I access Place Value Discs?
You can access Place Value Discs in three ways:
- Through Teach Mode — open Place Value Discs directly from the bottom bar of Teach Mode.
- From the Apps library — browse or search for Place Value Discs in the Apps library.
- In your slide deck — search for Place Value Discs in the apps panel on the right and tap it to drop it onto your slide. From there, you can move and resize it however you like.
How do I use Place Value Discs?
Open the app and a place value chart will appear on screen, with coloured discs sitting along the bottom — one for each place value column (e.g. 10,000 / 1,000 / 100 / 10 / 1). A Target number is shown at the top for students to build.
Drag discs from the bottom into the correct column on the chart to represent the target number. As discs are added, the Current number updates to show the total value of the discs placed.
Setting the target number
There are two ways to set the target number:
- New target — tap this button to generate a random number within the range you've set in the settings.
- Type your own — tap directly in the Target box and type in any number you'd like students to build.
Revealing the current total
While students are building the number, the current total is hidden by default and shown as '???'. Once they're ready, tap Reveal current to show the running total. You can tap Hide current at any time to conceal it again.
How do I change the settings?
Open the settings panel to customise the activity:
- Min. number / Max. number — set the range that random target numbers will be generated from.
- Decimal places — choose how many decimal places to include: 0, 1, 2, or 3. This adds decimal columns to the chart and decimal discs to the bottom row.
- Largest whole — choose the largest place value column to display on the chart. Options range from Ones up to Hundred thousands.
- Palette — choose a colour palette for the discs.
Tips
- You can add Place Value Discs to your favourite apps via the Teach Mode or through the App library. Click on this icon if you're adding it through the App library.
- You can connect Place Value Discs to specific subjects in your timetable (read more about timetable connections here). If you're connecting it through the App library, click this icon.
