Boost Math Skills with These 5 Rounding Tips
Year after year in third grade math, rounding was one of the most challenging math concepts for my math students to master. If you’re struggling to find ways to make rounding make sense for your elementary math students, you’re in the right place.
In this blog post, we’re focusing on 5 ways to help students understand rounding. These tips will help make rounding stress-free for you and your students.
Rounding is often taught with place value at the beginning of the school year. It pops back up in math problems throughout the year (and on standardized testing). Not to mention, rounding is an important life skill. Ever go to the grocery store and try to estimate how much your groceries will cost? Thank your rounding skills.
For these reasons and more, students need to understand rounding and be able to use it daily. But, it’s also one of the most difficult math skills for students to master. Often, students need to be taught rounding in multiple ways to make it stick.
Tip 1: Use a Saying or Math Rhyme
There are lots of sayings teachers use to help students remember the rules of rounding. My go-to saying is, “4 and below? Keep it low. 5 and above? Give it a shove.”
I prefer this saying over others because the word “keep” helps remind students that when rounding down, we keep the digit the same, rather than taking one away from it. This is a common mistake I saw in third grade. For example, when rounding 42, students would round it down to 30 rather than 40.
Whatever rounding saying you choose, I suggest posting it in your classroom on a poster or anchor chart to remind students. Rounding rules will work for some students, but you will have others who need rounding presented in a more concrete way. For that, we have the next few tips.
Tip 2: Rounding Mountain
This strategy is great for visual learners, and it makes a great anchor chart for your classroom. Draw a hill or mountain, like the picture below. It helps students remember that 0 through 4 slide back to the previous ten or hundred, while 5 through 9 move up to the next one.
Tip 3: Rounding String
The rounding string strategy is similar to the rounding mountain but with a more tactile approach. Cut a long piece of string. Tape cards with numbers 0-9 at equal distances along the string. Have one student hold each end low, and one student hold the middle up high. 0 through 4 should be on one side of the string mountain. 5 through 9 should be on the other.
Write a number on the board, such as 86. Discuss which tens are on either side of 86. You can make cards for each ten and place 80 on one end of the string and 90 on the other.
Ask students, “If I placed a bead on the string at 86, where would it slide to? 80 or 90?” You can also place an actual bead on the string to help students see the concept visually.
Tip 4: Use a Number Line
Number lines are invaluable in math for so many concepts. If you don’t have a large number line along the front of your classroom, I suggest putting one up. They come in handy and help students truly understand math, rather than just memorizing rules.
Small student number lines also come in handy, and it’s great to have them out in a place where students can easily access them when needed.
To use a number line to round, simply have students point to the number they are rounding. They then find the ten or hundred on either side. Students decide which number is closer on the number line. You will still need to teach students a rule to follow with fives.
Another great variation is to make a number line on your classroom floor with painter’s tape. Students can stand and walk along the number line to round.
Tip 5: Practice, Practice, Practice
It sounds like common sense, but this is so important! Students need to review rounding constantly throughout the school year. If they don’t, they forget it and you’ll end up spending a lot of time reteaching it before standardized testing. This can be done through morning work, centers, or whole group activities.
Need some engaging activities for rounding to use in centers or practice? Click on each of the activities below to get them.
Rounding Boom™ Cards Escape Room
Now it’s your turn! What strategies have been effective with your students? Have questions about these strategies? Let me know at laura@thirdgradeengaged.com
Happy rounding!
Laura at 3rd Grade Engaged
