Measurement

Strand: Shape and Space (Measurement)
Outcomes: 2, 3, 4, 5

Step 5: Follow-up on Assessment

Guiding Questions

What conclusions can be made from assessment information?
How effective have instructional approaches been?
What are the next steps in instruction?

A. Addressing Gaps in Learning

The best way for students to fill in gaps in their learning is to be involved in measurement activities. Discussion with peers and questioning by adults will allow the students to confront some of their misconceptions, learn new techniques, increase their knowledge and use of referents to make better estimates, measure with more accuracy, transition to understanding conservation of length and mass, and recognize the inverse relationship between the size of the units used and the number required. Beginning measurement work early in the year and revisiting it regularly throughout the year will allow students the time and opportunities required for maximum success. Leaving the equipment and manipulatives available for free time activities will give students additional opportunities to experiment with measurement. Be aware that if the students who are finished their work early are the only ones able to practise measurement, the students who most need it may be at a disadvantage.

B. Reinforcing and Extending Learning

Students who have achieved or exceeded the outcomes will benefit from ongoing opportunities to apply and extend their learning. These activities should support students in developing a deeper understanding of the concept and should not progress to the outcomes in subsequent grades.

Consider strategies such as the following:

Provide tips for parents on how to make an equal arm balance scale at home and things the student might use for nonstandard units such as pennies, paperclips, golf balls and nails. Encourage the parents to:
- ask the child to estimate first before weighing
- ask the child to order items from heaviest to lightest and at times from lightest to heaviest
- ask the child why a particular unit was chosen or exchanged for a different nonstandard unit
- ask the child if the nonstandard unit were exchanged for a lighter/heavier nonstandard unit, would it take more or less or the same number
Provide tips for parents on linear measure for reinforcement and extensions at home. For example:
- Reinforce the need to estimate first and encourage them to use nonstandard units such as paperclips, spoons, straws, coffee stir sticks, pennies or other things they have in multiple units that the children can lay end to end.
- Advise them about the various methods, such as measuring with a single unit or multiple units and measuring around curved surfaces.
- Also mention the need for attention to measurement error through gaps, overlap or not keeping a straight line.
- Let them know that one of the goals is to order items in both ascending and descending order by measurement, not just directly physically comparing lengths, heights, widths or distance around an object.
- Let them know that students are measuring themselves at school, so they are prepared for their children to ask to make wrist, ankle and other body measurements and comparisons.