This week in maths, we’ve been developing our understanding of measuring length and height. We learnt that length tells us how long something is from one end to the other, while height tells us how tall something is from the bottom to the top. The children enjoyed exploring these ideas practically and were keen to investigate objects around the classroom.
We began by discussing how people can measure using non-standard units. The children discovered that we can use almost anything to measure, as long as we follow some important rules:
• the units must all be the same size
• the units must be placed in a straight line
• the units must touch each other with no gaps
Using multilink cubes, the children measured a variety of classroom objects including books, pencils and pens. They worked carefully to line up their cubes accurately and count each unit correctly. We quickly noticed that if the cubes were not touching or were different sizes, the measurements would not be fair or accurate.
The children enjoyed comparing objects and discussing their findings using mathematical vocabulary such as longer, shorter, taller, smaller, longest and shortest. It was wonderful to hear so many thoughtful mathematical conversations taking place in our classroom
As our learning developed, we explored what happens when an object does not measure exactly to a whole number of cubes. We discussed how mathematicians sometimes need to measure to the nearest unit. The children showed great perseverance when estimating, counting carefully and deciding which measurement was the closest.
We then introduced centimetres as a standard unit of measurement. The children were fascinated to learn that centimetres are always the same size, wherever you are in the world. This helped us understand why standard units are so useful when measuring accurately and fairly. Using centimetre cubes, the children measured a range of objects and began recording their measurements in centimetres.
It’s been lovely to see the children demonstrating fantastic curiosity and enthusiasm for their learning, working collaboratively with one another.
Help at home by looking for opportunities to measure objects around your home together. You could begin by using non-standard units such as blocks, coins or paperclips before moving on to a ruler to measure in centimetres. Encourage your child to compare objects and describe them using mathematical vocabulary. You could also challenge your child to estimate the length or height of an object before measuring it carefully.