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

This post specifically looks at how place value charts can be used 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.

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

---

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

---

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