Max Maths, Year 3, Work Book, Sensible estimates of a number as a range

In the "Max Maths, Year 3, Workbook", students are introduced to the concept of making sensible estimates for quantities. Practice 5 focuses on guiding children to estimate a number as a range before determining the exact count. The exercise begins with an illustration containing a group of ants. Students are first asked to make an educated guess on the number of ants present and record their estimate. This encourages them to use visual approximation skills without relying on precise calculation initially.

Following their estimate, the workbook instructs the children to count the ants one by one to find the actual number, which they then compare to their initial guess. This comparison allows them to evaluate the accuracy of their estimation. The activity continues with a similar task involving a collection of shapes. Again, the students estimate the number of shapes, count them accurately, and reflect on the closeness of their estimation to the real count. Additionally, they are prompted to describe the method they used to arrive at their estimate, fostering an awareness of their own thought processes and developing their ability to make judgements based on visual information.