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East Bridgford St Peter's Church of England Academy

Measures

Measures

 

 

Mathematically, measuring is based on the idea of using numbers of units in order to compare attributes, such as length or capacity. Although young children engage with using rulers and experience being measured in centimetres, kilos – and years! – the measuring units themselves are hard to understand.

Children need to realise which attribute is being measured, e.g. weight as opposed to size, and the idea of conservation: that the amount stays the same, even if the appearance alters, e.g. if dough is stretched out or in bits. In order to understand units, they need to realise that two items can be compared using a third item, or ‘go between’, such as a stick.

Finally, children need to understand how equal size units are used repeatedly to express an amount as a number. While young children can engage actively in making comparisons and exploring equivalence of length, volume, capacity and weight in different ways, some of these ideas are challenging and will develop later in primary school.

For instance, weight (mass or density) is difficult to distinguish from size since it is invisible, and the concept of conservation is harder to understand for weight and capacity. Measuring with non-standard units of different sizes in order to appreciate the need for equal units is less effective with younger children, so centimetre cubes are recommended as accessible units. While time is also elusive to measure, young children can sequence events and, for example, count ‘sleeps’. (Money as a measure of value is too advanced to consider here.)

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