Which comes first?

I find this entry very amusing and interesting. I have been teaching my K2 this concept of place values of tens and ones.But I have never thought about which ones comes first;should I introduce the place value chart first or the number words or the numerals ?

It took me a while to deliberate on the steps . But I finally decided on these sequences after showing children the concrete materials ( in this case, the sticks :10 in a bundle - 3 bundles of sticks with 4 sticks on its own) :-

1)The place value chart.
After the children are exposed to concrete materials, I recommend introducing the place value chart to make connection that one bundle represents 1 ten and hence 3 bundles signify 3 tens and 4 individual sticks represent 4 ones.

3 tens 4 ones

2)Numbers in tens and ones.
To show children the transition of the place value chart to writing it in a sentence.

3)Expanded notation.
I would then get children to make the link that 3 tens is 30 , hence I would introduce the expanded notation now.

34
4)Introduce the numerals.
Number cards may be used. By this time, children should have understood that 3 tens 4 ones is 30 and 4. This is the time to show the representation of 34 .

Thirty-four
5)Last step is to introduce number words.
I feel that these steps are in accordance to theory by Bruner, in which he feels that children's learning should be from concrete to pictorial to abstract.