Roman numerals to 1,000

Roman numerals to 1,000: what children learn

In this matching game, around two in five cards are years between 1066 and 2030, such as MCMXCIX (1999) or MMXXVI (2026). The rest are numbers from 1 to 1,000. Years are a good real-life test because they appear on buildings, foundation stones and at the end of film and TV credits.

Number-system enrichment, not a Common Core requirement. Extend Roman-numeral reading through 1,000.

How to play

Pick a card on the left, then the card on the right that matches it. Each game has 6 pairs. Wrong matches are counted as mistakes, and you get three stars for a game with no mistakes.

Step by step

1. Know all seven symbols. I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000.
2. Know the six subtractive pairs. IV = 4, IX = 9, XL = 40, XC = 90, CD = 400, CM = 900. A smaller symbol before a larger one means subtract.
3. Split into thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. MCMXCIX: M (1,000), CM (900), XC (90), IX (9).
4. Add the parts. 1,000 + 900 + 90 + 9 = 1,999.

Worked examples

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Reading CM as 1,100. C before M means subtract: 1,000 − 100 = 900. MC would be 1,100.
• Getting lost in long numerals. Draw lines to split the numeral into thousands, hundreds, tens and ones before reading.
• Confusing D and M. M is for 'mille' (Latin for thousand). D is half of that: 500.

Activities to try at home

• Look for dates in Roman numerals on old buildings, war memorials and church foundation stones.
• Pause the end credits of a film to read the year it was made.
• Write family birth years in Roman numerals.

Ideas for the classroom

• Give students historical dates (1066, 1666, 1945) to convert both ways.
• Discuss why there is no zero in Roman numerals and how place value makes our system easier.
• Challenge: which year this century has the longest Roman numeral?

Free printable game and worksheet

The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a color-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.

Open the free printable game and worksheet

Frequently asked questions

Related topics

• Roman numerals to 100 (Grade 3 math) – Match Roman numerals I to C with their values. Free Grade 3 math game.
• Rounding numbers to 1,000,000 (Grade 4 math) – Round numbers up to 1,000,000 to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 or 100,000. Free Grade 4 math game.
• Multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000 (Grade 5 math) – Multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals by 10, 100 and 1,000. Free Grade 5 math game.
• Rounding to 10, 100 and 1,000 (Grade 4 math) – Round numbers up to 9,999 to the nearest 10, 100 or 1,000. Free Grade 4 math game.
• Numbers on a number line to 20 (Grade 2 math) – Place numbers to 20 on a number line. Free Grade 2 math game that builds number sense.
• Hundreds, tens and ones (Grade 2 math) – Quiz race on the value of each digit in a three-digit number. Free Grade 2 math game.

Back to Grade 4 math