Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Rounding Numbers A student in Mr. Davis' class is struggling to round numbers to the nearest ten and hundred. He has tried showing the student a number line, an open number line, a chart, and a rounding rap. He even wrote the steps down for the student. The student doesn't understand how to find the benchmark numbers for the problem. Mr. Davis tried to help the student with skip counting but that still doesn't help. For example, the rounding number is 36 to the nearest ten. The student doesn't understand that 36 is between 30 and 40. What's next? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) Mr. Davis could give each student a number to create a number line with the students. Then give the student who is trying to grasp the concept a number. Have the student identify which student he would be closer to and explain why. Then, ask the same question focusing on the number line rather than the students. Allow other students to have an opportunity to answer similar questions on rounding so he does not seem singled out. Then move to the number line on paper drawing arcs as numbers are counted. The student can count the arcs to help understand the connection with distance and value. Incorporate the rules explaining when you round up (increase by one) or down (the number stays the same).