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Math Madness Wednesday: Measuring Length

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Have you ever been around a child who is fascinated with measuring?  Maybe he/she walks around the house with a ruler or tape measure to find out the length of various items or he/she wants to bake all kinds of treats for the sole purpose of using some measuring cups?  I have one of those kids!  My son, who is now 11 and is autistic, has alway LOVED measuring things.  He is very interested obsessed with things that go the fastest, are the longest, beat time records, etc.  While it can be annoying sometimes (like when you are watching TV and a ruler comes out of nowhere, right behind your head, and scares you half to death, for example!).  But, it shows how much of a grasp he has on measuring!
Of course, not all kids have this same relationship with measuring as my son does!  So, how can we get them excited about it too?  I love to start by reading books.  Here are a few of my favorites when introducing measuring units:

This one is great for non-standard measurement units!
Great for making connections!
One of my son’s favorites!  Great for those that like records.
A classic, but still the best I’ve seen for showing why we use a ruler!
A not-so-traditional measurement book, but this book can show real life situations for using measuring (well, if you can consider measuring a giant’s head so you can make glasses for him “real life”….but, you know what I mean!)


Are you kids struggling with using a ruler?  Are some ready for 1/4 inch, but some are only ready for 1/2 inch (or even whole inch)?  Have you seen these rulers?  I had a few of these in my classroom and they were AMAZING!  They have clear, flip-able sheets so your kids can measure to whatever unit they are ready for.  It makes differentiating easier AND it helps them understand what the fractions actually mean!

                              

After reading some stories and introducing rulers, it is time to get the kids up and moving!  Give everyone a ruler and go on a walk (classroom, hallway, or outside).  Call out random lengths and let kids find something that is that long.  Pick something up and have the kids estimate how long they think it is and then have a student check their estimates.  Of course, you will need to start with whole numbers and estimates, but this gets kids thinking about what they can use a ruler for and how to read a ruler.  You can differentiate too by asking different groups or students easier or more difficult questions. 


Speaking of differentiating, I have a freebie that will allow you to differentiate for your kiddos as well!  This is my “Measure It” product that asks students to measure flowers and dachshunds to the nearest inch or half inch.  Answer keys are included as well!  
I also have a brand new item that I JUST added to my store.  It is a SCOOT activity for measuring.  The rulers are already added to the cards, so you don’t have to worry about the kids each having one or about them playing with them while moving around the class.  This activity is also differentiated into 3 levels.  There is a version with inch, 1/2 inch, and 1/4 inch.  For each level, there are 24 different task cards.  Recording sheet and Answer keys are included.  This product will be $2, but since it is brand new, it is only $1 until Friday morning!  
I hope your kids have fun measuring these items (as well as other items around the room or school!).  Let me know what your kids like to measure!
And, don’t forget about the big bundle from EDUCENTS that I am a part of this week!  You can read more about it here.  Basically, you can get 10 end of the year items for only $10.99!  My Robert Munsch lapbook study and my Nonsense Word WILD card game are included, as well as products from other fabulous teachers!  
Until next time,

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