There is another size of holder one order of magnitude larger than the one just described, and the system could, in principle, be extended indefinitely. If the physical proportions of the blocks are changed even slightly, a stack of ten blocks will no longer have the same shape as the blocks of which it is composed. Hence, the blocks used in the Digi-Block System are the only ones that can be used to represent our base ten number system in this digital manner. In a sense, the Digi-Block design could be described as an inevitable consequence of our number system itself. Number Lines Sturdy foam number lines with clearly defined hash marks eliminate the confusion of abstract number lines.
Students represent numbers by placing blocks along the number line.
Students can model and quickly understand addition and subtraction by sliding blocks from one number line to another. The Blocks are used in conjunction with a counter. The counter is a specially designed inclined platform designed to keep the blocks in a form that makes place value, regrouping, and digital notation crystal clear. The counters have two or three racks or 'places,' corresponding to hundreds, tens, and ones. Each rack or 'place' accepts an appropriate sized holder.