Ensure students know the basic concepts of math, which include adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying small numbers. Introduce students to multiplication tables and allow them to calculate large numbers (either using calculators or multiplication tables provided). Once students are familiar with this concept introduce them to "grouping"; ask them to add up larger numbers with more than two place values and explain that grouping large numbers together is an effective way of counting large amounts of objects or numbers.
Introduce the very basics of place value to students by providing them with a large quantity of objects (i.e., matchsticks). Demonstrate to the students that counting the matchsticks in groups, rather than individually, is more effective. Ask the students to add each group of matchsticks counted together and highlight the place value of the total matchsticks. Use simple divisions or subtractions to reinforce the exercise.
Introduce addition and subtraction in the form of number "groups." For example, you can ask children to calculate "five ten-groups and four ones" or use the previous match exercise as an analogy. Display number groups on boards and ask students to add the number as a whole (i.e., display the "5" single units and "4" tens and ask students to show the whole number, 45). Students can also be shown whole numbers that are not split into number groups and be asked to take away number groups (i.e., 450 is displayed on the board and the students are asked to subtract three ten-groups to the number).
Provide students with three different colored bricks and label each as either hundreds, tens or ones. Bricks should be visibly bigger depending on what they portray (i.e., a red brick that is labeled hundreds would be visibly bigger than the tens brick). Ask students to group bricks together, stacking relevant colors on top of each other. Ask students to write down the actual number of the bricks and describe which number is a hundred, ten or one (for example, 7 red hundred bricks, 5 blue tens bricks and 1 white ones brick will produce the number 751).
Write numbers onto a board and highlight the place value of each digit in a number. Provide students with a sheet with four columns, labeled "thousands, hundreds, tens and single digits/ones." Give students a three or four digit number and ask them to split and write the number in individual columns. Alternatively, provide students with a list of numbers already in the columns and ask students to write the number out as a whole.