What Does It Mean to Estimate in Math? – Kid-Friendly Definition!

As students are introduced to the term “estimate,” they often are asked to guess how many gumballs are in a jar or how many blocks are in a box. This helps students to make a reasonable guess of an approximate amount. As students move to different grade levels, estimation still, in fact, means to make a close guess or approximation, but this is done with the 4 operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. If you are looking for an easy way to explain the term “estimate” to your students, read on for a simple definition!

To “estimate” means to make a thoughtful guess by rounding or compatible numbers to determine an approximate answer.

Estimation Activities for Your 4th and 5th Grade Math Students

Teach Starter has put together a set of estimation task cards to help your students refine their understanding of estimating products with whole numbers. This set of task cards comes with 24 questions that cover:

• Rounding factors
• Using compatible numbers
• Listing factors that could result in an estimated product
• Word problems
• Determining which method gives the most accurate answer

This teacher-created resource also comes with a recording sheet for your students to write down their answers and an answer key for quick and easy grading!

Download and Print Your Task Cards

If you are ready for your students to use these task cards when reviewing estimation with multiplication, head on over to the green download button. You will find the quick-print PDF file or the editable Google Slides file here. If selecting the Google Slides option, please note that you will first be prompted to make a copy of the resource to your personal drive before accessing.

Consider printing the task cards on cardstock and laminating them to ensure they will last many years! Task cards can be kept in an organizer box, envelope or attached with a binder ring.

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

Extra Resources For Your Estimation Unit!

Don’t stop there! If you are looking for some additional resources to add to your teaching toolkit, check out some of our suggested activities below![resource:5011059]   [resource:5008352]   [resource:5007776]