Resources on Early Learning

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Your preschool-age child hears you talk about miles, inches, pounds, liters, acres, and minutes. He sees you measuring things. He may wonder how tall he is or how long he can stand on one foot. Here are some home activities that can help your child learn basic measurement concepts.

Use the language of measurement.

• Introduce your child to words such as unit, full, load, balance, meter, area.
• Ask her to compare: “Which board is widest?” “Whose boots are heavier? Yours or Dad’s?”
• Help her ask questions about measurement: “You could ask Grandpa what he measures at work.” “It sounds like you want to know if your lunchbox holds more stuff than mine.”

Show your child how to use measurement in family routines.

• Your child can measure and refill food and water dishes for pets.
• He can use teaspoons and measuring cups when you cook together.
• He can learn to check a rain gauge or thermometer and tell you the results.
• She can help fill trash bags and recycle bins. You might help her use a calendar to keep track of how much your family recycles or throws out each week.
• He can have a daily schedule for giving garden plants a set amount of water.

Play games together that use measuring skills.

• Tag, beanbag toss, and hopscotch are active games that involve awareness of distances. “Pathway” games (for example, Candyland) also involve distances.
• Using a timer during games lets your child practice measuring time.

Offer other activities related to measuring.

• Let your child play with boxes, geoboards, nesting toys, clay, wood scraps, interlocking blocks, stacking toys, and fabric squares.
• Offer your child measuring tools (ruler, eye dropper, balance, clock) for study or play. Provide clear tubes and containers for sand and water play.
• Help your child use nonstandard items (hands, thick string, shoes, floor tiles) to describe the size of things around him. “This table is 5 tiles long.”
• Invite your child to guess the weight of pets, family members, or toys, checking them on a scale. You might help her make a chart of her results.
• Make a quilt with your child, or let him help you build a model, a birdhouse, or other small construction project.

For more information about measuring with preschool-age children, see:

• Math in the Home
  http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/mathhome.html
• Who Measures What in Our Neighborhood?
  http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/ups/curriculum2002/measure/overview.shtml
• Measurement
  http://www.center.edu/pub/docs/chapter7.pdf

Spanish: Diversión en casa con niños preescolares: ¡A medir cosas!

The opinions, resources, and referrals provided in this Tip Sheet are intended for information purposes only and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We advise parents to seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with questions regarding their child’s health or medical conditions.

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