200
                                234=  _____ hundreds, _____ tens, ____ ones
                                What is BEFORE.  This example does not elicit conceptual understanding. 
A better question would be:
234= ___ hundreds, ___ tens, ___ones
234= ___ tens, ____ ones
234= ___ ones
(Base ten units are bundled in different ways, which is helpful in subtracting with borrowing.)