An early understanding of measurement begins when children simply compare one object to another. When we ask “Which one is Shorter? Taller? Longer? Heavier?”, children are learning attributes about an object and that they can be measured more than one way. A rock can be heavier and smaller than a feather that would be lighter and possibly larger.
This month we have given the children opportunities to measure things using different objects, also measuring themselves. We used blocks, fidgets, stepping stones, etc. to measure how long each material is. Mackenzie exclaims “The tower is big!” as he measures the height of his structure. Isabella states “I measure the tree!” as she approaches the tree in the playground. Millie expresses interest in measuring the slinky fidget and says “It's long!”. The toddlers watched as Educator Mary showed them how to use the measuring tape and how to measure objects. At this young age, we are simply building a foundation of knowledge for future math learning through exposure and experimentation.
Introducing measurement concepts to little ones allow them to grasp the basics so they can build upon those skills later. Eventually, the children will use measurement skills for everyday tasks such as cooking, organizing objects, understanding time, and using money.
Measurement provides opportunities to strengthen both children’s number and measurement understanding at the same time. We are encouraging and providing the children to use math and measurement in learning opportunities. If we didn’t have measurement, it would be very hard to tell time, know what something weighs, figure out an object’s height, take someone’s temperature, the length of something, or how fast a car goes. Life is so much easier when we know how to measure things, and that is why measurement is so important.
