This page features a worksheet on converting Roman numerals to Arabic numerals and vice versa. This is a pdf test sheet with an answer key attached on the second page. Print here >>
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Roman numerals are an interesting feature in the third grade math curriculum. Created thousands of years ago as the standardized counting system of the venerable Roman Empire, they persist in our culture today as one of Ancient Rome’s longest-lasting legacies. They continue to see regular use in many real-life contexts. As a key example, they’re used as a stylistic way to represent the numbers in analog watches. They also get used to number the chapters on a book or the acts of a stageplay, mark years, and signify generation suffixes, especially in historical contexts, i.e. King Louis XIV.
Your child will need some consistent practice to be fully acquainted with this ancient counting system. If you’re a schoolteacher or a parent homeschooling your kids, you’ve likely been exhausted preparing all the learning materials for their math lessons. To help you out, we’ve prepared these high-quality Roman numerals worksheets – 3rd grade that you can save and print out for any math activity.
Unlike the Hindu-Arabic numeral system that we’ve grown accustomed to throughout our adult lives, Roman numerals use letters to symbolize various amounts. Your child will have to get familiar with seven letters in particular. In ascending order of their value, these letters are I, V, X, L, C, D, and M. They must also take note that in formal settings, these numerals are always capitalized.
These numerals are then combined to denote various numbers. Of course, the learner needs to recognize that combining numbers isn’t done at random. The letters are written from smallest to largest, going from right to left.
In addition, letters that are grouped together are added to each other. This means that the number three is denoted by three letter I’s, or III. However, they can’t use the same numeral in a group three times. This is when your child can learn about another nuance of the numeral system: placing a numeral with a smaller value to the left of a larger numeral subtracts the value of the larger numeral with the smaller one. You can explain this simply by writing the number four – IV – in which 1 is subtracted from 5 to get 4. In a similar fashion, they can derive 40 by subtracting 10 from 50, or XL.
Kids must bear in mind that only I, X, C and M can be repeated. The symbols for 5, 50 and 500 – respectively V, L and D, can only be used once.
Studying the Roman numeral system will take a little time. Your child has to internalize the values of the different numerals, as well as grasp its rules to avoid incorrect notations. With dedication and a bit of encouragement, they’ll have become proficient with the topic by the end of the third grade.
Feel free to download the Roman numerals worksheets – 3rd Grade on this page whenever you need a test paper for a surprise quiz, a summative test or exam, homework, or even team activities. Should you want to have our vast collection of math worksheets always close at hand, you might also like to bookmark our website.