Free printable estimating and rounding worksheets for 3rd Grade math practice

Different ways and strategies exist to estimate numbers depending on the situation and purpose. Here are some common strategies that you can use:

• Front-end estimation: This means using the first digit of each number to estimate the sum or difference. For example, if you want to estimate 234 + 567, you can use front-end estimation by adding the first digits of each number: 200 + 500 = 700. This gives you an approximate answer that is close to the actual answer of 801.
• Compatible numbers: This means using numbers that are easy to add, subtract, multiply, or divide mentally. For example, if you want to estimate 48 x 25, you can use compatible numbers by rounding 48 to 50 and 25 to 20: 50 x 20 = 1000. This gives you an approximate answer that is close to the actual answer of 1200.
• Benchmark numbers: This means using numbers that are familiar or easy to work with as reference points. For example, if you want to estimate how many cups of water are in a gallon, you can use benchmark numbers by knowing there are 4 cups in a quart and 4 quarts in a gallon: 4 x 4 = 16 cups. This gives you an exact answer that is easy to remember.

Rounding numbers is another way to estimate numbers by making them simpler or easier to work with. Here are the steps to round numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand:

• Identify the place value that you want to round to. For example, if you want to round to the nearest ten, look at the tens place.
• Look at the digit to the right of the place value you want to round to. For example, if you want to round to the nearest ten, look at the ones place.
• If the digit is 5 or more, increase the digit in the place value you want to round to by one. For example, if you want to round 37 to the nearest ten, look at the ones place, which is 7. Since it is more than 5, increase the digit in the tens place, i.e., 3 by one: 3 + 1 = 4.
• If the digit is less than 5, keep it in the place value you want to round to as it is. For example, if you want to round 32 to the nearest ten, look at the ones place, which is 2. Since it is less than 5, keep the digit in the tens place, 3 as it is: 3.
• Change all the digits to the right of the place value you want to round to zero. For example, if you want to round 37 to the nearest ten, change the ones place to zero: 40. If you want to round 32 to the nearest ten, change the ones place to zero: 30.

Now that you know how to estimate and round numbers, it's time to practice and have fun with them! Here are some fun and engaging activities that you can do at home or at school to practice estimating and rounding:

• Estimation jar: Fill a jar with small objects like candy, marbles, or beans. Ask your friends or family members to estimate how many objects are in the jar by looking at them. Please write down your estimates and compare them with the actual count. See who has the closest estimate and reward them with some of the objects from the jar!
• Rounding bingo: Make a bingo card with different numbers on it. Have someone call out numbers rounded to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand. Mark the numbers on your card that match the called-out numbers. The first one to get five in a row, column, or diagonal wins!
• Estimation station: Set up different stations around your room or house with items you can estimate. For example, you can have a station with a scale and some fruits that you can estimate their weight, a station with a measuring tape and some furniture that you can estimate their length, width, or height, or a station with a timer and some activities that you can estimate how long they take.

  Go around the stations and write down your estimates. Then check your estimates with the actual measurements or times. See how close you are and try to improve your estimation skills!

One of the best ways to help your 3rd graders master estimating and rounding is to provide them with plenty of practice. That's why we have selected a set of free printable estimating and rounding worksheets for grade 3 math practice from Mathskills4kids.com, covering all the estimating and rounding topics.

You can download and print these worksheets for your kids at home or in the classroom. Here are some of the worksheets you will find in our collection:

• Rounding to the nearest ten, hundred, and thousand: This worksheet helps students practice rounding whole numbers to the nearest place value. It includes a number line to help them visualize the process of rounding. Students have to round each number and write the answer in the box.
• Rounding money to the nearest dollar: This worksheet helps students practice rounding money amounts to the nearest dollar. It includes pictures of coins and bills to help them count the money. Students have to round each amount and write the answer in the box.
• Rounding puzzles word problems: This worksheet helps students practice rounding numbers in the context of word problems. It includes four puzzles that require students to round numbers and use them to solve a riddle. Students will write the rounded numbers and the answer to the riddle in the spaces provided.
• Estimate the sum of whole numbers by rounding word problems: This worksheet helps students practice estimating the sum of two or more whole numbers by rounding them first. It includes four-word problems that require students to estimate the total number of items, people, or animals in a given situation. Students have to write their estimates and explain how they got them.
• Estimating the differences of whole numbers by rounding word problems: This worksheet helps students practice estimating the difference between two whole numbers by rounding them first. It includes four-word problems that require students to estimate how many items, people, or animals are left after some are taken away or used in a given situation. Students have to write their estimates and explain how they got them.
• How to solve inequalities using estimation: This worksheet helps students practice solving inequalities using estimation. It includes four inequalities that require students to estimate the value of a variable that makes the inequality true. Students have to write their estimates and check if they are correct by plugging them into the inequality.
• Estimating products: This worksheet helps students practice estimating the product of two whole numbers by rounding them first. It includes four pairs of numbers requiring students to estimate their product using compatible numbers or front-end estimation. Students have to write their estimates and compare them with the actual products.
• Estimating quotients: This worksheet helps students practice estimating the quotient of two whole numbers by rounding them first. It includes four pairs of numbers requiring students to estimate their quotient using compatible numbers or front-end estimation. Students have to write their estimates and compare them with the actual quotients.
• Identify reasonable answers for two-step word problems: This worksheet helps students practice identifying reasonable answers for two-step word problems that involve estimating and rounding. It includes four-word problems that require students to use two different operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to find an answer. Students have to choose the most reasonable answer from the four options and explain why they chose it.

Estimating and rounding are not only useful for math class but also for real-life situations. Here are some examples of how estimating and rounding can help 3rd graders in real life:

• Shopping: You can use estimating and rounding to plan your budget and compare prices. For example, if you want to buy a shirt that costs $12.99 and a pair of jeans that costs $24.99, you can estimate the total cost by rounding each item to the nearest dollar: $13 + $25 = $38. This gives you an idea of how much money you need and how much change you will get.
• Cooking: When you cook or bake, you can use estimating and rounding to measure ingredients and portions. For example, if you want to make cookies that require 2/3 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of butter, you can estimate the amount of sugar by using a 1/3 cup measure twice: 1/3 + 1/3 = 2/3.

  You can also estimate the amount of butter by using a knife to cut a stick of butter into four equal parts: 1/4.

• Traveling: When you travel or go on a trip, you can use estimating and rounding to plan your time and distance. For example, if you want to go to a museum 15 miles away from your house and it takes about 20 minutes to drive one mile, you can estimate how long it will take to get there by rounding the distance to the nearest ten: 20 miles. Then multiply by 20 minutes: 20 x 20 = 400 minutes. Then divide by 60 minutes: 400 / 60 = 6 hours and 40 minutes.