This monthly article will feature a different learning skill each month and instead of talking theory will ONLY give ideas for targeting/strengthening that learning skill for ages 2 to 102! Remember that you can find ALL the learning skills in a free interactive tool.
Measuring: producing accurate and precise readings from an instrument
Use timers, thermometers, scales, rulers, and so on to let little ones start exploring measurement of different things. Note their results for them and share them in fun ways: The tallest stuffed animal, the heaviest shoes, the warmest drink, etc. An important idea regarding measuring is WHAT we measure; is it what is EASY to measure or what is IMPORTANT to measure? Lead little ones in that direction with fun questions: “What’s the most important thing to measure with Superman?” or “If you could fly, what things would be most important for you to measure?”
Remember that counting is measuring too! So poetry and its rules of syllables and lines is perfectly amenable to measurement. The different writing styles of authors can be approached from a measurement angle as well: what is the average length of a sentence in Hemingway or Cormac McCarthy versus DH Lawrence or Charles Dickens? What about a count of adjectives or adverbs per paragraph? What does that mean in terms of style? More broadly, how do we go about measuring quality in a literary essay or piece of journalism? What about measuring historical impact or the quality of a historical recording? All of these are important questions that humanities students should grapple with. A good discussion can be had in any philosophy classroom about measuring IQ or the impact of art on culture. Measuring isn’t only about performing a measurement, but also about determining the tool to use. Some fields in the humanities (sociology, psychology, and anthropology, for example) have all become much more dependent on measurement and objective metrics, such that the tips for STEM students may be more useful. Again, measuring what’s easy vs. what’s important is an idea for students to grapple with.
Here students will have likely had much experience measuring but can always improve their performance as well as learn to use new tools. Focus should always take into account tools available and that more advanced instruments does not automatically equate to better understanding. Consider Eratosthenes who, in about 250 BCE, measured the Earth’s circumference by using human paces and a tall stick. A stick and piece of string were the only tools many ancient mathematicians had and they achieved feats of engineering and calculation that modern university students find difficult (or impossible). Ease of measurement may mean that we often measure things just because we can. Challenging students to determine ease vs. importance of measuring is always a good idea.
Have fun with measuring! Watch a film together and everyone keeps track of either things that were measured or measurements that were mentioned. On a road trip or while waiting somewhere, pick an object and everyone has to come up with 5 ways to measure it. The person with the most unique answers (not appearing on anyone else’s list) wins. Find a new instrument and everyone learns to use it. (There are online apps for learning to use a slide rule!) Challenging everyone in the family to make an object that keeps track of the day’s high (or low or average) temperature for a year can result in lots of fun and interaction with a thermometer or even weather station (temperature blanket, anyone?). Ask for ideas of what the family should start measuring – what measurements matter to the family?