Blocks before digits
When kids are stuck on place value or regrouping, go back to base 10 blocks. Have them build 64, trade a ten for ten ones, and then take away 27. Once they see it with blocks, the written steps finally make sense.
Why it works: the U.S. Department of Education's guide for teaching elementary math recommends moving from hands-on objects to drawings to numbers.
Try it withBase 10 Blocks Place Value WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →























