Place Value Assessment

Interview

This document is adapted from the

Mathematics Assessment Interview (MAI)
developed by the Australian Catholic
University (2011).
It is designed to be used with an individual
child to ascertain the childs understanding of
place value concepts.

Read, write, order and interpret two digit

numbers
1. Number Cards
Show the child number cards (green).
Read these numbers: 83, 18, 40
2. Writing numbers on a calculator
(Hand the child the calculator). Have you used a calculator before?
Please turn it on.
Type these numbers into the calculator: 47, 60 , 15
3. Ordering numbers
Place the ordering cards spread out on the table. Do not read the
numbers aloud.
Here are some numbers. Order these numbers from smallest
to largest. . . . Please point to the largest . . . Please point to
the smallest. [Use 19, 36, 74]
4. Bundling sticks.
Unpack the icy pole sticks. [** Suggest use toothpicks have six or
seven bundles of ten and about fifteen loose]

Here are some icy pole sticks in bundles of ten. (Offer

the chance to check a bundle if it seems appropriate).
Here are some more loose ones.
Show white card for 36. Ask . . .
Get me this many (icy pole) sticks. (If the child starts to
count all in ones, interrupt and ask them if they can do
it a quicker way with the bundles.
Tell me how you worked that out.
Please put one bundle back. How many sticks are there now?
How did you know that?

5. Two digit number line task

Show the child the 2-digit number line card.

Look at this number line. Please tell me the largest number.

(100)

Point to the little mark. What number would go here? (50

acceptable number range is 45-55)
Please explain why you chose that number.

6. Partitioning two digit numbers

The number 36 (show card) can be split into 30 and 6. Can you
tell me other ways in which you can split?

Read, write, order and interpret three digit

numbers
7. Number Cards
Show the child number cards.
Read these numbers: 117, 407, 690
8. Writing numbers on a calculator
(Hand the child the calculator). Have you used a calculator before?
Please turn it on.
Type these numbers into the calculator: 724, 105, 370
9. Ordering numbers
Place the ordering cards spread out on the table. Do not read the
numbers aloud.
Here are some numbers. Order these numbers from smallest
to largest. . . . Please point to the largest . . . Please point to
the smallest. [Use 156, 403, 813]
10.
Three digit number line task
Show the child the 3-digit number line card.

Look at this number line. Please tell me the largest number.

(200) Point to the little mark. What number would go here?
(150 acceptable number range is 130-170)
Please explain why you chose that number.
The numbers on this line go from 39 to 172 . . . (pointing to
the little mark) Round about what number would this be?
(acceptable range: 65 to 95).
Please explain why you chose that number.

11.
Some more . . . some less . . . interpreting three
digit numbers
Show the child the 592 card. Pause for a couple of seconds for the
child to look at the number.
Tell me the number that is ten more than this number (602).
Show the child the 408 card. Pause for a couple of seconds for the
child to look at the number.


12.

13.

Tell me the number that is 10 less than this number (398)

Partitioning three digit numbers
The number 592 can be split up into 500 and 90 and 2. Can you
tell me other ways in which you can split 592?
Early multiplicative thinking

Show number cards 3, 30 and 300.

How many times bigger is 300 than 3?

How many times bigger is 300 than 30?

Read, write, order and interpret four digit

numbers
14.
Number Cards
Show the child number cards.
Read these numbers: 1847, 2075, 7203
15.
Writing numbers on a calculator
(Hand the child the calculator). Have you used a calculator before?
Please turn it on.
Type these numbers into the calculator: 2469, 6203, 9052
16.

Ordering numbers

Place the ordering cards spread out on the table. Do not read the
numbers aloud.
Here are some numbers. Order these numbers from smallest
to largest. . . . Please point to the largest . . . Please point to
the smallest. [Use 3569, 3659, 3956]
Do the same with this set [Mixed set: 290, 902, 2092, 2900,
920]
How do you know if a number is larger or smaller than
another number? Please explain.
17.
Four digit number line task
Show the child the 4-digit number line card.

The numbers on this line go from zero to 2000 . . . (pointing to

the little mark) Round about what number would this be?
(acceptable range: 400 to 600).
Please explain why you chose that number.

18.
Some more . . . some less . . . interpreting three
digit numbers

Show the child the 2791 card. Pause for a couple of seconds for the
child to look at the number.
Tell me the number that is ten more than this number (2801).
Show the child the 3027 card. Pause for a couple of seconds for the
child to look at the number.

Tell me the number that is 100 less than this number (2927).

19.

Partitioning four digit numbers

The number 2791 can be split up into 2000 and 700 and 90 and
1. Can you tell me other ways in which you can split 2791?

20.

Early multiplicative thinking

Show number cards 3, 30, 300 and 3000.

How many times bigger is 3000 than 30?

How many times bigger is 3000 than 300?

Read, write, order and interpret numbers

beyond the thousands
21.

Writing large numbers

Please write the number one million and twenty four
Please write the number nine hundred and twenty thousand,
six hundred

22.
Capital cities
Show the child the chart with population figures.

Here is a list of Australias capital cities (point to the names of

the cities). . . . These numbers show how many people live in
each city.
(point to the word Darwin) How many people live in Darwin?
(point to the word Canberra) How many people live in
Canberra?
(point to the word Adelaide) How many people live in
Adelaide?
Please point to the city that has the third largest number of
people. How did you work that out?

23.
Large numbers number line task
The numbers on this line go from zero to one million . . .
(pointing to the little mark) Round about what number would
this be? (acceptable range: 700 000 to 800 000).
Please explain why you chose that number.

24.

Multiplicative thinking

Show number cards 3, 30, 300, 3000 and 3 000 000

How many times bigger is 3 000 000 than 3000?

How many times bigger is 3 000 000 than 30?

Read, write, order and interpret decimal

numbers
25.

26.

Writing decimals
Write the decimal number for seven tenths.
Write the decimal number for thirty five one hundredths
Reading decimals

Show the cards 0.3 and 0.28.

Please read each number.
27.
Interpreting and ordering decimals
Please point to the larger number [0.3 or 0.28]. How do you
know it is larger?
Place a blank card between 0.28 and 0.3
Think of a number between these two numbers. What could
the number be? Please explain.

Draw a picture to show what this number (0.3) means. Please

explain your drawing.
[If successful repeat for 0.28]