Estimation Worksheets

There are many things that we think about in the average day. Sometimes those thoughts are simple and other times they are profound and require a great dal of thought. When it comes to numbers, regardless of the real situation, we do not always need to be exact, but we do need to be close. If you are going to buy dinner at a restaurant you want to have a decent idea of what the cost is, so that you have enough money to pay. When you need to sell something, you want to have an idea of how much you can make for it. When we want to take quick guess that are not perfect, but pretty close to the right answer these are called estimates. Estimates are really one of the times in math we are not trying to perfect, but pretty close. Estimation is great for understand the cost and value of things. It is also super helpful for when working with changes in time and to provide you with an overall idea of what you are up against. These worksheets start out very basic with just objects. As we progress through creating more material this will cover difficult forms of estimation. We are currently working on more conceptual problems like estimation-based word problems.

• Approximating Values - We do this to identify an acceptable value that is close to the exact value. We are trying to get close to level of certainty or precision here.
• Estimate Differences - Students learn how to mental round and come out with a ballpark figure.
• Estimating Length Measures - I do this all of the time when I'm working with wood. Being consistent is your goal here.
• Estimate Sums - A little rounding comes into play here. Oh yeah, as well as addition.
• Estimating Decimal Sums and Differences - You will need to pay more attention to place values here.
• Estimating Sums and Differences with Fractions - As is the case with most fractions, it all depends on the denominator.
• Estimating Times - We all do this when we know we are working. How much longer do I have to do this?
• Estimating Weight - This is very helpful for some professions more than others.
• Estimating Weight of Odd Objects - There are many shapes that are not routine and take a bit of thinking to understand.
• Estimating Units of Length - The focus here is more on the type of unit used. We review common measures that are used.
• Front-End Estimation of Sums and Differences - This is when we are working with multi-digit values and we are focused on the highest place values that are present.
• Front-End Estimation of Products and Quotients - Same as the last topic, but we focus on multiplication and division.
• Frontend Estimation Word Problems - If you work in a warehouse, understanding these is a must.
• Halfway - Eyeball where the middle of these things is located. This truly is a skill. Some people are great at it.
• Making Inferences From Random Data - Understanding the nature of data helps us make better decisions.
• Place Value: Understanding How to Round Decimals - Decimals are more involved with estimation than whole numbers, in most cases.
• Rounding Numbers By Place Value - Knowing which place, we are concentrated on, is the key here.
• Rounding Up and Down - The old four and under, goes down to the lower zero. Five or greater and it goes up to the greater zero.
• Visual Estimation - Contractors make there living doing this, especially towards the end of the day when they get tired.

Tips for Teaching What an Estimate Is

Estimation is one of the essential mathematical skills. It is better that you start teaching estimation to your children at a young age so that they able to refine this skill as they grow up. There is no doubt that young children will struggle to grasp the concepts. But we have compiled and explained some of the fun ways that will be useful in teaching your kids about estimation.

Real Life Examples - Real-life examples are the easiest and the most efficient ways to explain the concepts of estimation to your children. You might want to play guesswork with your children. You can ask your children about how much your grocery bill will be or how much distance traveled from one place to another.

Flashcards - Flashcards are one of the best ways to reinforce the concepts. Show flashcards with different pictures and objects on them and ask your children to estimate the number of different objects. Repeat this fun game until your children have grasped the estimation concept.

Visual Games - Young kids have a difficult time with visually separating things and focusing on one thing. But you can enhance this skill in a fun way. Spread some balls of different colors, for example red, blue and green. Ask your children to focus on the blue ones while ignoring the green and red ones.

When we estimate anything, the goal is to help us determine the best solution in a quick and logic manner. As we improve our ability to make these snap judgements that are root in facts it helps to boost our confidence and reminds us that we are good decision makers. The main thing that we need to focus on is the facts that we available to us and the inherent limits that those facts have attributed to them. The more valid the facts that we are working off of, the more valid our decisions will be perceived.