Measuring with young children: a reflection from Mme Rigolotte
- Frédérique and the Wooden Fellows
Imagine being 4 years old and wondering how big dinosaurs were compared to elephants. Or being 3 years old, and wondering why you cannot use your baby tub anymore. Young children naturally engage with measurement concepts on a daily basis. How can we strengthen their exploration?
What do you mean, measuring with young children?
Measurement refers to the quantification of an attribute—length, capacity, time, etc.—to compare it indirectly. For young children, of course, the goal is not to master precise measurements. Rather, let’s guide them in noticing differences (“I cannot fit in the baby tub anymore!”), asking questions (“Can a dinosaur fit in my room?”), and using language to describe their world (“It is so biiiiiiiiig!”). In other words, adults often associate measurement with numbers and tools; for children, measurement simply begins with curiosity.
We talked in a previous post about connecting time with Mother Earth, as a concrete way to introduce the concept of time to young children. With length or capacity, one way to begin is by engaging children with the question: “What kind of big?” (Erikson Institute, 2014). Often, children use “big” whether they refer to something unusually, from their perspectives, long, tall, vast, heavy, etc. It could be a tall unicorn, a heavy book, or a wide road. From their daily discoveries, one can gently stretch their thinking through questioning, expand their vocabulary, and guide them to describe the world they live in with more precision.
In 2025, Mme Rigolotte started a new series to dive deeper into early mathematics.
As you may remember, this series complements our introductory post, highlighting five main areas of early mathematics – Numbers and Operations, Measurement, Geometry, Early algebra (patterns), and Data Representation (sorting, classifying, etc.). See our first post on counting and our second post on number stories.
With so many free, research-based resources available online, our main hope with our series on early mathematics is to raise awareness about early mathematics and share ideas with anyone curious about helping young children develop these crucial skills. If you want to dig further, check some resources listed at the end of the post! Or keep coming back; we will never stop talking about early mathematics, as it is such a powerful way to bring out the uniqueness of young children : )
A Few Things to Focus On – What, How, and Why We Measure
First, what can we measure? Some attributes, like length, height, weight, and time, are measurable. Others, like color, are not measured in the same way. Helping children notice these differences helps them develop critical thinking.
Second, how do we measure? The concept of measuring with consistent units is complex, but young children can explore it through the idea of “fairness” (Erikson, 2014). Measuring with different units—like one child using steps and another using arms—opens the door to rich conversations. For instance, “Would it be fair if some of us get three teaspoons of ice cream, and others get three tablespoons?”
Third, and even more importantly, as it is sometimes forgotten in upper grades when children switch to procedural measurement, why do we measure? Measurement should be meaningful. We measure with a purpose—” Will this big kid bed fit in your room?”—not just for the sake of it.
Engaging Young Children with Measuring
Keeping those few questions in mind, the key when engaging young children with measuring is, hence, to embrace measurable moments in authentic ways.
Everyday activities like cooking, sewing, or building something offer endless chances to measure: cups of flour, lengths of ribbon, or even the time it takes to go to school, or visit a loved one. Making a simple wooden box comes with so many opportunities to talk about length, and width, and how a width that can seem negligible can have daunting consequences on the final product if not taken into consideration.
Picturebooks are also a great starting point. For instance, “Lia & Luís: Who Has More?” by Ana Crespo and illustrated by Giovana Medeiros fully aligns with exploring “what kind of big?” It follows two children trying to figure out who has more snacks by counting pieces, comparing weights, and noticing differences. But any books offer opportunities to engage with mathematics (see our monthly series of picturebook review!), so be on the lookout for questions that could emerge and connect with what, how, and why we measure.
Unexpected moments of our daily life often become rich springboards for conversation, and measurement is no different. When Rosie was little, we used to set up a small tent in our living room, from time to time, to pretend we were camping. Wandering around a big store one day, we saw a giant tent and started dreaming: would it even fit in our space? How could we check when we get back home? Rosie’s steps were small; mine were big. Which ones should we use?
Growing together
I am sure every one of us can share additional stories of measuring, that could be engaging for young children. What has been your experience so far with young children and measurement? As always, feel free to share them in the comment section! Our space is your space : )
Next month, geometry!
Additional resources
- Erikson Institute. (2014). Big Ideas of Early Mathematics. Pearson Professional Development.
- Fosnot & Dolk (2001). Young mathematicians at work. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
