What Does It Mean to Estimate Decimals?
Estimation helps us get quick, approximate answers!
When we estimate sums and differences of decimals, we round the numbers to make calculations easier.
This is super helpful when shopping, measuring, or when you just need a quick answer without being exact.
How to Estimate with Decimals
1️⃣ Round each decimal to the nearest whole number or to one decimal place
2️⃣ Add or subtract the rounded numbers in your head
3️⃣ Check if your estimate makes sense - is it close to what you'd expect?
Let's Practice Together!
Shopping Estimate
You want to buy a toy for $12.79 and a book for $8.49. About how much money will you need?
Round each price to the nearest dollar:
$12.79 → (Hint: Look at the cents!)
$8.49 →
Estimated total: $
Measurement Difference
A tree grew from 3.28 meters to 5.94 meters. About how much did it grow?
Round each height to the nearest tenth:
3.28 m → (Hint: Look at the hundredths place!)
5.94 m →
Estimated growth: meters
Parent Tips 🌟
- Make it real: Practice estimating with grocery receipts or when measuring ingredients for cooking.
- Estimation games: Play "guess the total" with prices or measurements before calculating exactly.
- Celebrate close answers: Emphasize that estimates don't need to be perfect, just reasonable.