Adding and Subtracting by Tens, Hundreds, Thousands, Ten Thousands and Hundred Thousands

Make this visual aid to teach children about adding and subtracting by place values.

Step 1:

Get a sentence strip (or a long strip of cardstock) Print the numbers and cut them out. Be sure to leave the extra white space above and below each row of numbers.

Step 2:

Measure out with a pencil where each strip of numbers will go on the sentence strip. Make dots at the top and bottom of each side of a number box.

Step 3:

Cut between the two sets of dots for each number strip.

Step 4:

Insert the number strips between the two slits to display one number at a time. Write the place values above each slot. Pull the strips up and down to add or subtract by a given place value.

To use this tool for instruction, give children number problems such as these:

Make the number 683,592

Subtract 10,000

Add 100,000

Subtract 10

Add 100

Subtract 1,000

Once students have had practice time together using this, break them into pairs and have them use dice to decide a number, then the printable cards (placed in a pile, face down) to add or subtract by a place value.