The Calendar, Rounding Numbers to the Nearest Thousand
Rounding numbers to the nearest thousand is a Grade 4 skill paired with calendar work in Saxon Math Intermediate 4 Chapter 6. To round, students find the thousands digit and look at the hundreds digit as the decision-maker: if it is 5 or more, round the thousands digit up; if it is 4 or less, keep it the same. Then all digits to the right become zeros. For example, 8,720 has a hundreds digit of 7 (5 or more), so it rounds up to 9,000. Students must remember to include the trailing zeros that maintain the correct place value.
Key Concepts
New Concept To round a number to the nearest thousand, we find the multiple of $1000$ to which the number is closest.
What’s next Next, you'll use a number line and place value to practice rounding numbers to the nearest thousand, hundred, and ten.
Common Questions
How do I round a number to the nearest thousand?
Look at the hundreds digit. If it is 5 or more, add 1 to the thousands digit. If it is 4 or less, keep the thousands digit the same. Replace all digits to the right with zeros.
What is 8,720 rounded to the nearest thousand?
The hundreds digit is 7, which is 5 or more, so round up. 8,720 rounds to 9,000.
What is 3,249 rounded to the nearest thousand?
The hundreds digit is 2, which is 4 or less, so keep the thousands digit the same. 3,249 rounds to 3,000.
Why are trailing zeros important when rounding?
Trailing zeros hold the place value. Without them, 9,000 would look like just 9, which is a completely different number.
What if the thousands digit is 9 and the hundreds digit causes rounding up?
The thousands digit increases to 10, which means the number moves to the next ten-thousands place. For example, 9,800 rounds to 10,000.