Helping Children Learn to Estimate
Have you ever asked your child to guess how many there were of something and gotten a blank stare in return? There’s a good reason for this!
Estimating isn’t a skill that develops automatically. It takes a lot of practice! Before children can rattle off “about how many” they see, they must first develop an understanding of what we mean by “estimate” and “about.”
So how do we build an understanding of what it means to figure out “about how many?” There are two simple question formats that, when incorporated into daily conversations, allow children to start to make sense of estimation.
Are there more or less than ________ ? Why do you think so?
Is the number of [name of item] closer to _________ or _________? Why did you pick that number?
Tips for Success:
Always start with really small numbers. This allows your child to build confidence answering the question with numbers they can easily visualize. As they gain confidence estimating with small quantities, you can move up to larger quantities.
Always ask your child to explain why they gave the answer they did. This helps them build the understanding that estimates aren’t a random guess. Rather, they are an informed guess based on information we have.
One easy way to start incorporating estimates is at breakfast time. With just a post-it note and some breakfast cereal, you and your child can dive into making estimates. See pictures below for suggestions.
After you discuss your estimates and then count, talk about whether your estimates were accurate and how you know.