Rounding numbers to 1,000,000: what children learn
Year 5 pupils learn to round any number up to 1,000,000 to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000. The rule is the same one they learnt in Year 4, applied to bigger numbers: look at the digit just to the right of the place you are rounding to.
Rounding big numbers is useful for estimating, checking calculations and describing large amounts, such as populations or distances. In this quiz the numbers go up to 999,999, and the wrong choices include rounding the wrong way and rounding to the wrong place.
This topic covers the Year 5 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Number – number and place value): pupils should be taught to “round any number up to 1,000,000 to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000”. Year 5 pupils are usually aged 9–10.
For families following US standards, the closest Common Core standard is 4.NBT.A.3, which is taught in Grade 4. Common Core rounds multi-digit numbers up to 1,000,000 in Grade 4.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 120-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Identify the rounding place. For 346,812 to the nearest 10,000, the ten thousands digit is 4.
- Look one digit to the right. The thousands digit is 6.
- Round up or down. 6 is 5 or more, so round up: 4 ten thousands becomes 5 ten thousands. Every digit to the right becomes 0. 346,812 → 350,000.
- Check it is nearer. 346,812 is between 340,000 and 350,000, and it is past the halfway point (345,000), so 350,000 is nearer.
Worked examples
Example 1: Round 346,812 to the nearest 100,000.
Working: Look at the ten thousands digit: 4. Round down.
Answer: 300,000
Example 2: Round 96,500 to the nearest 1,000.
Working: The hundreds digit is 5, so round up. 96 thousands become 97 thousands.
Answer: 97,000
Example 3: Round 999,960 to the nearest 100.
Working: The tens digit is 6, so round up. 9,999 hundreds become 10,000 hundreds.
Answer: 1,000,000
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Losing track of which digit is which in a long number. Write the number in a place value chart, or underline the rounding digit.
- Rounding in stages (and getting a different answer). Only ever look at the one digit to the right of the rounding place.
- Forgetting that rounding can carry into the next column. Think of the two multiples it lies between before deciding.
Activities to try at home
- Round the population of your town or the distance to another city to the nearest 1,000 or 10,000.
- Round house prices or car mileages you see.
- Estimate big totals, such as the number of seats in a football stadium.
Ideas for the classroom
- Use real data, such as UK city populations, and round to different degrees of accuracy.
- Ask 'what is the smallest number that rounds to 350,000 to the nearest 10,000?' (345,000).
- Discuss when rounding to 100,000 is sensible and when it loses too much detail.
Printable worksheet
The printable worksheet uses the same question generator as the game, so it practises exactly the same skills. It comes with a separate answer sheet on the second page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser's print menu.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'nearest 10,000' mean?
Replacing a number with the closest multiple of 10,000, such as 340,000 or 350,000.
Does 5 always round up?
Yes. If the deciding digit is 5 or more, round up.
What is the US equivalent?
Common Core 4.NBT.A.3 (Grade 4): use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place, for numbers up to 1,000,000.