Welcome, families! This month, we're exploring a fundamental skill that we use all the time without even realizing it: Estimation. Estimation is about making an educated guess based on what you already know. This month, we encourage you to have "estimation conversations" at home. Notice something in your environment that can be estimated (e.g., the number of apples in a bag, the size of a tree). Ask questions such as "What makes you think that?", "How did you come up with that guess?" “Do we think that is a reasonable estimate?” to develop reasoning skills and number sense.
Connecting it Back to the Classroom
Students are developing estimation strategies as early as kindergarten. Developing estimation skills builds a strong sense of quantity and an understanding of the relative size of numbers or the how muchness of a quantity. At its core, estimation is a form of problem-solving. Students use their prior knowledge to make reasonable predictions, then reflect on the accuracy of those predictions. This process is key to mathematical reasoning. By engaging in estimation at home, you're not only reinforcing classroom learning but also making these abstract concepts relevant in your child's world.
Engaging in Estimation Conversations at Home
Estimation can happen anywhere, anytime!
Here are some simple ideas to get you started:
Inside your Home:
- Primary Ideas
- How many grapes do you think are in this bowl?”
- “How many minutes do you think it will take the toast to pop?”
- “How many steps do you think it takes to get from the kitchen to your bedroom?”
- Junior Ideas
- “Estimate how many pieces of cereal it would take to fill this cup.”
- “How many minutes do you think it will take for the water to boil?”
- “If we poured this cup of water into a bigger container, how many cups do you think we’d need to fill it?”
- Intermediate Ideas
- “Estimate how many drops of water are in a full glass. How could we check your estimate using reasoning?”
- “If this fan fills the room with air in 20 minutes, how long do you think it would take for a fan half its size?”
- “Estimate the height of the fridge in cm, then check with a measuring tape. How close were you?”
In the Community:
- Primary
- “How many steps do you think it will take us to get to the end of the street?”
- “How many benches do you think are in the park?”
- “How many cars will pass by in the next minute?”
- Junior
- “How long do you think it will take us to get to the grocery store?”
“How many steps from here to the playground? Let’s estimate, then test it.”
“Estimate the height of the slide at the park—what could you compare it to?”
- “How long do you think it will take us to get to the grocery store?”
- Intermediate
- “How tall do you think that tree is? How could you estimate using a nearby object or a strategy like using your shadow?”
“If the store is 3 km away and we’re driving at 40 km/h, how long will it take to get there? Estimate first, then calculate.”
“How much space do you think a row of parked cars takes up on the block (in metres)? What’s your reasoning?”
- “How tall do you think that tree is? How could you estimate using a nearby object or a strategy like using your shadow?”
A Fantastic Resource for Families: Estimation 180
Estimation 180 is a fun way to build your child’s number sense at home. Each day, you and your child can look at a picture or situation (like a stack of cups, a bowl of fruit, or a jar of objects) and make a reasonable estimate of the quantity. The goal isn’t to get the exact answer but to think about what makes sense, explain reasoning, and compare estimates. This simple routine encourages math talk, problem-solving, and flexible thinking in everyday situations—like estimating how many steps to the car, how many crackers are in a box, or how long it will take to walk the dog.
Estimation is a powerful tool for developing numerical literacy and a deep understanding of the world around us. By making it a regular part of your family conversations, you'll be fostering mathematical thinking in a fun way!
Happy estimating!