Our 1st graders recently stepped into the shoes of young mathematicians as we kicked off our latest unit on measurement! Students moved beyond paper and pencil to explore how measurement works through active, hands-on discovery. Instead of traditional rulers, our 1st graders learned all about non-standard units of measurement by grabbing craft sticks and measuring their classmates from head to toe!
Lying on the floor and carefully placing popsicle sticks end-to-end taught our young learners key early math skills—like keeping units equal, lining them up without gaps, and counting in sequence. Working in pairs brought plenty of giggles and collaboration as they discovered just how many "sticks tall" their friends were. It was a wonderful way to bring abstract math concepts to life through real-world, interactive play!