I'm not sure what you mean by "across zeros" but knowing your place value helps you a lot. For example: "What is the value of 6 in the number 2,650?" You would say, "The value of 6 in the number 2,650 is 600, because it is in the hundred's place." Make sure you say hundreds and not hundredth's, because the hundredths is behind a decimal. Hope this helped! :)