What Does It Mean to Estimate Sums?
Estimating sums means making a good guess about what numbers add up to, without finding the exact answer.
It's like when you look at your piggy bank and guess about how much money you have, without counting every single coin. We do this by rounding numbers to make them easier to work with!
How to Estimate Sums
1️⃣ Look at the numbers you need to add
2️⃣ Round each number to the nearest ten
3️⃣ Add the rounded numbers together
Let's Practice Together!
Example 1: Candy Jar Guess
There are 37 red candies and 42 blue candies in a jar. About how many candies are there altogether?
First, round each number:
37 → 40 (because 7 is closer to 10)
42 → 40 (because 2 is closer to 0)
Now add: 40 + 40 = 80
So there are about 80 candies!
Example 2: Toy Collection
Sam has 28 toy cars and 53 action figures. About how many toys does he have?
Let's round them:
28 → 30 (8 is close to 10)
53 → 50 (3 is close to 0)
Add them: 30 + 50 = 80
Sam has about 80 toys!
Parent Tips 🌟
- Make it real: Practice estimating with grocery items ("About how much will these apples and bananas cost?")
- Estimation jar: Fill a jar with small items and have your child estimate how many are inside before counting
- High-five rounding: Teach that numbers "give a high-five" to the nearest ten (0-4 stay low, 5-9 reach high)