Max Maths, Year 5, Try it, Written methods

In a mathematics exercise designed for Year 5 students, they are encouraged to practice their addition skills using the column method, a fundamental written technique for combining numbers. The first task requires students to add two numbers with decimal places, namely 7143.573062, and to start by making an estimate of the sum before calculating the actual total. The column method involves aligning the numbers by their place values—ones, tenths, hundredths, tens, and hundreds—ensuring that each digit is in the correct column. This structured approach helps students to add each column systematically, starting from the rightmost column and working their way left, carrying over any values as needed.

The second task in the exercise asks the students to add two more numbers: 278.88 and 114.44. Again, they are prompted to estimate the sum before performing the actual addition. Estimating involves rounding the numbers to a simpler form, which makes mental calculation easier and provides a rough figure that the actual sum should be close to. After estimating, students apply the column method to find the precise sum, aligning the numbers by decimal places and adding each column in turn. This exercise not only reinforces arithmetic skills but also encourages students to understand the importance of estimation as a tool for checking the reasonableness of their answers.