When the Number Rings App came out, I was really excited. I started to imagine activities to teach and reinforce number sense.

Its simple design hides a powerful tool.

Number Rings is an iOS app for iPhone or iPad. On the surface it appears to be a four function calculator for numbers from 1 to 99.

But that’s not even scratching the surface.

The four functions (+, -, x and ÷) are calculated at the same time. And as you spin each number wheel you can watch them change!

This feature makes Number Rings an incredible number sense tool.

Regarding usability: spinning the wheels takes a bit of getting used to. The programmers didn’t include the standard IOS wheel “tap” function. So getting the wheel to stop on exactly the number you want can be annoying.

Hopefully they’ll include this feature in the next release.

The materials don’t live up to the power of the app.

The Number Rings App is incredible, despite its wheel usability issue. But the Number Rings people have lost sight of its power.

Most of their published activities fail to take advantage of the number rings themselves. The activities work just as easily (or better) with other tools.

Their activity packet 10+ Classroom exercises for kids is difficult to understand. And only activities #4 and #8 make good use of the app.

Multiplication “Towers” for kids is really a pencil and paper activity. As soon as children see the pattern on the paper, there’s no reason to use Number Rings. Or any other tool.

And yet, it’s still a great app.

I still highly recommend the Number Rings App. So much so that I’ve created a discovery worksheet for children and a teacher’s guide to go along with it.

Go for it!

Get the Number Rings App and the downloads above. See how they work to teach and reinforce number sense.

And share your thoughts and discoveries in the comments!

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