ClassVani
Place value and the Indian number system
Indian school maths names large numbers as thousand, lakh, and crore — not million and billion. Place value is which digit sits in which seat.
Seats for digits
10 ones make 1 ten. 10 tens make 1 hundred. 10 hundreds make 1 thousand. That pattern is the same everywhere. The names of the bigger seats are what change.
Lakhs and crores
After thousand, Indian naming uses lakh (1,00,000) and crore (1,00,00,000). International English uses million (1,000,000) and billion. A child in India will hear both on YouTube; school work usually wants lakh and crore.
Commas are grouped differently too: 12,34,56,789 (Indian) versus 123,456,789 (international). When you read a big number aloud, match the system the homework uses.
Practise without a lecture
Build numbers with ten sticks or bundled straws. Ask “what does the 4 mean here?” ClassVani does not yet have a dedicated place-value game. Counting and maths games still train “how many” and small sums, which sit under place value.
Frequently asked questions
Is a lakh the same as a million?
No. A lakh is 1,00,000 (a hundred thousand). A million is 10 lakh. A crore is 100 lakh, or 10 million.
Which comma style should we teach?
For Indian school work, use thousand / lakh / crore grouping (e.g. 12,34,56,789). Mention the international style so the child is not confused by other websites.
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