Beginning Place Value: Roll It, Make It Dice Game

Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represent an amount of tens and an amount of ones

Represent a rolled two-digit number using base ten blocks or connecting cubes

Record a two-digit number by writing its tens and ones digits separately

Provide base-ten blocks or connecting cubes, depending on the materials available

Use for small-group intervention or math stations. For whole-class use, prepare enough dice and manipulatives for the students or pairs

Have students say the built number aloud ('X tens and Y ones is...') before writing it, to connect the physical model to the number

Place value — students build the connection between a rolled two-digit number and its tens and ones components using physical manipulatives.

Number representation — students translate a rolled number into both written digits and a hands-on base ten model.

Fine motor / hands-on math — students physically construct each number with blocks or cubes rather than only writing an answer.