Place Value Chart: Place Value Relationships [TEKS Tools Grade 4]

This post specifically looks at how place value charts can be used to understand place value and compose/decompose numbers. Read more about TEKS Tools and their rationale here.

PlAce Value Charts

Place value charts, the third TEKS Tool, account for around 20% of each 4th grade STAAR test. These charts help students understand our base-10 number system, including the introduction of decimals.

The main function of a place value chart is to show the relationship between place value locations in our number system. By visualizing numbers on a place value chart, students can compose, decompose, compare, and order numbers and understand place value magnitude.

Understanding Place Value Relationships

The magnitude of each place value, especially when the locations are not adjacent, can be visualized using a place value chart.

4.2A - interpret the value of each place-value position as 10 times the position to the right and as one-tenth of the value of the place to its left

Click on each > to expand

2023-4: students were given a number and had to identify two correct interpretations of the place value relationships between digits

2024-2: students were given a place value relationship and had to identify three numbers with the same relationship

2025-19: students were given four numbers and had to identify the correct place value relationship

---

Composing/Decomposing

Students deeply understand place value when they can rewrite numbers as the sum of smaller amounts based on various place value understandings.

4.2B - represent the value of the digit in whole numbers through 1,000,000,000 and decimals to the hundredths using expanded notation and numerals

Click on each > to expand

2023-2: students were given three place value clues and had to find the matching number

2023-17: students were given a value and had to find two numbers with the same value

2024-11: students were given a number in standard form to decompose into expanded notation

2024-26: students were given a number in word form to decompose into expanded notation

2025-5: students were given a number in expanded notation to compose into word form

2025-17: students were given a number in expanded notation to compose into standard form

---

Place Value equivalence

Students learn to represent numbers in both fractional and decimal form.

4.2G - relate decimals to fractions that name tenths and hundredths

Click on each > to expand

2023-13: students had to convert a decimal to a mixed number

2023-28: students had to convert a fraction to a decimal

2024-5: students had to convert a fraction to a decimal

2024-29: students had to find the correct equivalence statement between a decimal and a fraction

2025-12: students had to find the correct equivalence statement between a decimal and a fraction

2025-30: students had to convert a decimal to a mixed number