How long? How tall? How heavy? How far? Measurement is an inescapable math concept that children utilize everyday without realizing it. Measurement involves finding or comparing the size, length or amount of something. Children will naturally begin to explore the concept of measurement through play and will develop ways to quantify amounts using non-standard units such as hands, feet or blocks. This is an important part of the developmental understanding of measurement because children learn that measuring objects with different tools can yield different outcomes and that the accuracy of their measurement is impacted when there are spaces between the tool they are measuring with. These understandings are essential before children move to using standardized units of measure.
Some activities that you can do to support measurement learning with your child:
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Baking
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Building
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Recording your child’s height
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Determine how far you are traveling
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Determine how long something will take
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Creating a schedule
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Measuring around an object
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How much liquid do you need to fill a container
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Determine how much space is needed
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Determine how much paper is needed to wrap an object
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Determine which object is heavier (smallest should not always be lightest)
For some more activities, please check out:
To find out what your child will learn in math this year or to find other fun activities that you can do together as a family, please visit the Math page. Be sure to also try our Problem of the Month.