Mathematics

NOMI: Hey, have you ever been to a big Indian wedding or a bustling market like Dilli Haat? — There are so many people, right? Or when you buy a brand new bicycle, you pay so many Rupees! — When numbers get really big, like in thousands, lakhs, or crores, it's super interesting to learn how to read and understand them, isn't it? Socho, if you had so many colourful beads, how would you count or tell someone how many you have?

❌ NOMI: Look — many children think that in a number like 550, both the 5s have the same value. They feel that 5 is just 5, no matter where it is placed.

✅ NOMI: But that's not right, didi/bhaiya! — Every digit has its own 'place' or 'ghar' in a number. The first 5 is in the 'hundreds' place, so its value is 500. And the second 5 is in the 'tens' place, so its value is 50. See, its 'place' changes its 'value'! So tell me, why does the number 8 have a different value in 8080 than in 80?

NOMI: Ek kaam karo — at home, write digits from 0 to 9 on small slips of paper. Now, try arranging them in different ways to make big numbers and read them out loud! Accha, if you make the smallest number possible, where would you put the zero?

See interactive experiment in app →

Hey there! Do you remember going to the market with your parents to buy groceries? Let's say your dad bought 250 grams of coriander leaves and then 150 grams of green chillies. Think — what was the total weight of the greens he bought? And if you used 100 grams of coriander for a dish, how much is left? How did thinking about these veggies help you figure out the total and the difference?

❌ Students sometimes think that when they add or subtract numbers, they can just write them one below the other without worrying about their 'place' or 'column'.

✅ No, no, that’s not right! Always remember to place the ones digit under the ones digit, the tens under the tens, and the hundreds under the hundreds — exactly in their correct column. Otherwise, your answer will be completely wrong. Why do you think keeping numbers in their right columns is so super important?

Okay, here’s a fun thing to do! Grab some of your favourite marbles or even some rajma beans from the kitchen. First, count how many you have in one hand. Then, take some more in the other hand and count those too. Now, tell me — how many do you have in total? Or, take some out and see how many are left.

See interactive experiment in app →