Rounding to the Nearest Ten: Practice at Home, Grade 3

Rounding turns a messy number into a friendly one. In Grade 3 children round to the nearest 10 and 100, and the number line is the best tool they have.

What your child is working on

To round 63 to the nearest ten, find the two tens it sits between (60 and 70) and decide which is closer. 63 is closer to 60. Numbers ending in 5 round up.

Try it at home

Chalk a number line on the sidewalk or tape it along a hallway, with 60 at one end and 70 at the other and a mark at 65. Call out a number, such as 68, and ask your child to stand where it belongs and then walk to the nearest ten. Do the same for 62, 65 and 61.

For a real-world use, round prices at the store: “About how much is each item? Think of the price in cents, such as 47 cents, and round it to the nearest ten.”

Where children slip

Some children round down every time because they see the tens digit first. The walk helps with that, because 68 is clearly nearer to 70.

Practice online

The free Round to the nearest ten page has quick sets with feedback. Find the nearest-hundred version on the Grade 3 skills page.