Dear Family and Friends,
Over the next several weeks, our class will be working on measurement in a unit called From Paces to Feet. We'll start out measuring distances with “giant steps” and “baby steps.” Later on your student will be pacing off distances in the classroom and at home. After making these informal kinds of measurements, we will start using rulers, yardsticks, and their heights.
Measurement activities include a fun side—such as figuring out how many giant steps it takes to win a game of "Mother, May I". We enjoy playing such games, and they're learning important math at the same time.
The more experience with measurement that students get at school and at home, the better. Encourage them to estimate and measure distances. Typical questions that might come up include these:
- How far is it across our kitchen table—and can we really reach that far?
- How many children can sit comfortably on our couch? How many adults?
- Will that extra bookcase really fit in the kids' bedroom?
These are good questions, and they're also very practical ones! Measurement questions come up a lot in our lives, and it's exciting for children to be involved with real-world issues.
Here's how you can help during this unit:
- Listen to your child's strategies for measuring.
- Involve your child in your own measurement activities—hobbies like sewing or carpentry are a natural for this.
- Work together on measurement activities your child brings home.
Don't worry if your child doesn't use a ruler accurately yet—it's a skill that will develop over time, with more and more opportunities to measure.
Happy measuring!
Sincerely,
Kim
This letter is from the From Paces to Feet curriculum by TERC. We will be using parts of this curriculum for the next couple months.
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