Year 5 maths: settle into larger numbers this September

September maths can feel like a sudden jump when familiar calculations start involving much larger numbers. For children beginning Year 5 in England, place value is a useful foundation: understanding what each digit represents makes comparing, rounding and calculating more manageable.

This retrospective guide focuses on the early September transition. You do not need to recreate a lesson at home. Start with the numbers your child is meeting at school, then use a few short conversations to find out what makes sense and what needs another explanation.

1. Build a number before asking for an answer

Write these column headings on paper: hundred thousands, ten thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. Give your child six small pieces of paper, each showing a digit, and ask them to build 243,615 beneath the headings.

Ask three specific questions:

• What is the value of the 4? It represents 40,000.
• Which digit represents 600? The 6.
• What changes if we swap the 4 and the 3? The number becomes 234,615.

Keep the distinction between a digit and its value clear. Saying “the 4 is in the ten thousands column, so it means 40,000” is more useful than simply naming the column. If six digits feel overwhelming, begin with 3,615 and add columns gradually.

2. Make zero visible in the right place

Zeros can cause confusion because they hold a place without adding value. Ask your child to build 205,040 using the same column headings, then say it aloud: two hundred and five thousand and forty.

Next, ask them to write the number without the headings. Compare the two versions together. If a zero has disappeared, return to the columns rather than telling them to “be more careful”.

Try this short challenge: “Write a number with 7 ten thousands, 3 hundreds and 2 ones.” The answer is 70,302. Invite your child to explain why the thousands and tens columns need zeros.

Finish by letting them set you a similar challenge. Explaining where you should put each digit can reveal understanding that a correct answer alone does not show.

3. Compare numbers from the left

Present 308,450 and 380,450. Ask which is larger and, importantly, where the first difference appears.

Both numbers have 3 hundred thousands. The next column decides the comparison: 8 ten thousands is greater than 0 ten thousands, so 380,450 is larger. There is no need to inspect every remaining digit.

Then try 507,090 and 507,900. Here, the first difference is in the hundreds column.

Once your child can explain two comparisons, ask them to arrange three numbers in order. Avoid introducing a timer: the goal is a reliable method, not a fast guess. Encourage the sentence, “I know this is larger because…”

4. Keep September practice small and responsive

Choose two brief practice slots each week, around five to ten minutes each. Use one number building task, one comparison and one explanation rather than a full page of questions.

Record a specific success, such as “explained why 70,302 needs two zeros”. If the same misunderstanding persists, share an example with the class teacher and ask which representation school is using.

For focused one to one support, take the free 2 minute quiz. GoodGrade Tutors offers online tutoring across the UK, plus in person support in selected areas.