Standard place value is the structure of grouping into tens, hundreds, thousands etc. Using these groupings makes counting and calculation efficient in comparison to working with individual units (ones).
Bundling objects into sets of 10 (then 10 tens into one hundred, and 10 hundreds into one thousand, etc.) is the basis of our place value system.
Our system of recorded symbols allocates any given digit a place value depending on its position. The position matches this system of grouping. For example, in 456 the 5 refers to five counts of ten objects.
The power of the place value system is that it makes counting and operating on numbers much simpler than working with individual objects.
Targetted activities can improve the ability of students to anticipate the results of joining or separating sets.
You can read more in the article Is Your Classroom Mental? on the AAMT website.
