What Is Estimation in Math?

If your students are starting to dabble in the concept of estimation, they may need extra guidance and practice to truly understand this skill. While students have probably been exposed to the term when making an educated guess about the number of gumballs in a jar or figuring out how many marshmallows can fit in a container, estimation looks a bit different as they work their way through the grade levels.

Students begin to learn how to estimate by means of rounding, compatible numbers and benchmark values. They also learn how to estimate with addition and subtraction problems and, eventually, multiplication and division problems. They still are making a thoughtful guess as to the answer, but it is important that their approximation is close to the actual answer.

Estimate the Sum & Estimate the Difference With an Interactive Game!

If you are looking for an engaging activity for your students to do in the classroom or at home, you have come to the right place! Teach Starter has created an interactive mystery game to help students refine their estimation skills.

To complete this game, students should open the slide show in “Presentation” mode. Students will then be led through a series of questions where they must round to the nearest 10 or 100 to solve an addition or subtraction equation. If this student is correct, a piece of the mystery picture is revealed. If a student is incorrect, they will receive immediate feedback and be prompted to go back to the question and try again.

Easily Prepare This Estimation Game for Your Students

If you want to get your hands on this estimating sums and differences activity, head on over to the green download button. Here, you can download the interactive Google Slides version of this resource. Please note that you will first be prompted to make a copy of the resource to your personal drive before accessing it.

This resource was created by Cassandra Friesen, a teacher in Colorado and a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Extra Estimation Activities for Your Classroom!

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:  

teaching resource

Estimating Sums and Differences by Rounding and Compatible Numbers – Worksheet Set

Supercharge your students’ math skills with our estimation worksheets! Download now to master the art of rounding and using compatible numbers for lightning-fast calculations.

teaching resource

Estimating Sums and Differences Interactive Activity

Download our interactive Google Slides activity designed to sharpen your students’ understanding of estimating sums and differences with rounding and compatible numbers.

teaching resource

Estimating Sums and Differences Matching Activity and Extension Task

Guide your students to estimate addition and subtraction sentences by rounding and compatible numbers with this matching activity.