Being able to make an estimate is an essential skill. It is a great idea to teach children to make an estimate from an early age, so that they understand its importance as soon as possible and begin to hone their skills. Although young children struggle to grasp the concept, there are many ways to teach them to estimate through a variety of playful activities.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Explain the Concept of Estimation
Step 1. Explain that the estimate is comparable to a hypothesis
Your child probably already knows the concept of the hypothesis well. Explain that the estimate is similar, but that its purpose is to make more accurate assumptions. Learning to estimate will save you time and energy in situations where an accurate calculation is not necessary.
Step 2. Provide examples
If you pay attention, you will frequently notice examples of esteem in your daily life. For example, you could estimate how much the grocery store bill will be, how long it will take to reach a destination, or how many cups of milk are left in the jug. Illustrate these examples to your child appropriately.
When reporting these examples, it may help to explain why estimation is more useful than calculations in a particular context. Explain to your child that if you wanted to know the exact store bill, you could add up all the prices and get the exact amount, but in this case, you just want the approximate amount, so as not to overspend
Step 3. Use flash cards
To reinforce the concept, show your child a flashcard or an image with multiple objects: animals, toys or something he likes. Show him the picture, but don't give him time to count the objects, then ask him to estimate the number. Score the closest estimates high. Repeat the game until the child demonstrates that he understands the concept.
Method 2 of 2: Teaching Strategies for Making an Estimate through Fun Activities
Step 1. Focus on activities your child enjoys
Each child is different, so he adapts each activity to his particular interests. Make these activities fun! Children tend to have a lot of energy, but they are subject to frequent drops in attention, so it is important that the chosen activities attract them.
Step 2. Teach to visually isolate objects
The child may find it difficult to filter out unnecessary information and focus exclusively on the object to be estimated. You can enhance this skill through simple games. For example, you could put red and blue balls on the floor, and then ask the child to guess how many red balls there are (ignoring the blue ones).
Step 3. Do some riddles
You can ask the child to guess how many candies are in a container, how many coins are in a jar, or how many marbles are in a box. Emphasize the need to estimate rather than count and calculate.
Go in search of online games that can help children learn the concept of esteem
Step 4. Underline the language regarding the estimate
Explain to the child that when making an estimate, terms such as "about", "approximately", or "more or less" are used. When you play guessing, encourage him to use these words and come up with sentences about the concept.
Step 5. Teach the child to be strategic
Remind them that estimating is not about guessing, but about making reasoned hypotheses. Instead of saying numbers at random, he should deduce them from observation, to get as close as possible to the real result.
Step 6. Insist
Repetition is key. Children need to practice these skills continuously in order to have complete mastery of them. Vary the activities so the child doesn't get bored, but don't stop repeating the concept.
Step 7. Reward the child's progress
Children will be more interested and motivated if you offer them a prize. If you do a candy riddle, for example, you can give him some. If you use coins, let him take them if he's good at estimating them.
Advice
- Aims to show the child that esteem can be both fun and practical. Play games to help him develop his skills, but be sure to connect those skills to study and daily life.
- Challenge the child, but don't make the activities too difficult at first. Children feel frustrated when asked to perform a task that is beyond their capacity.
