Countless times teachers encounter students who struggle with math concepts in the elementary grades. Often the difficulty arises from the inability to understand the mathematical concept of place value. “Understanding our place value system is an essential foundation for all whole number calculations” (Burns, 2010, p. 20). Students who recognize the composition of numbers have more flexibility in mathematical calculation. “Not only does the base-ten system allow us to express arbitrarily large numbers and arbitrarily small numbers, but it also allows us to quickly compare numbers and evaluate the approximate size of a number” (Beckmann, 2014a, p. 1). Addressing student misconceptions should be part of every lesson. If a student perpetuates misconceptions about place value, he or she will not be able to fully recognize and explain other mathematical ideas. In this article, I will explore some misconceptions about place value and suggest some strategies to help students understand the concept of place value. “Understanding place value requires an integration of the new and sometimes difficult concept of grouping by ten” (Van de Walle, Karp, Bay-Williams, 2013a, p. In the first case study, the student in this problem used a single chip to demonstrate the unit of tens on his paper was unable to distinguish that that represents a group of tens and not a single chip the student is still using the counting by ones approach learned in school. childhood (Van de Walle, Karp, Bay-Williams, 2013b). The student should be exposed to the practice of grouping by ten. The teacher can use a variety of strategies to help the student develop the concept of grouping by ten. To begin, the teacher should encourage... middle of the paper... mathematical concepts are strongly influenced by their understanding of our number system Therefore, any misunderstanding regarding place value must be addressed promptly to ensure success in mathematics. ReferencesBeckmann, S. (2014). Mathematics for elementary teachers with activity manual (4th ed.). Boston, MA: PearsonBurns, M. (2010). Snapshots of student misunderstandings. Educational Leadership, 67(5), 18-22. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.orgFuson, K. C., Clements, D. H., & Beckmann, S. (2011). Focus in second grade: Teaching with curriculum focuses. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2013). Elementary and middle school mathematics: Teaching developmentally (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Publishing