skippy Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Hello Please can anyone offer any suggestions of how they teach and provide stimulating opportunities for length, height, weight and capacity please. I just need some inspiration (3&4 yr olds) Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hello For height we often plant sunflowers then measure who's is the tallest. We also do height of each other and make a height chart. Stand in order of height etc. Capacities - water in to diff size containers. Cooking, ie how many spoons to fill the cup, how many cups to fill the bowl etc. we also use very large /small boxes and see how many children will squash inside. Weight - scales of all different types. Lots of very heavy and very light items for differences. Lengh - hair, clothes, items in the room/environment are compared to see longest/shortest. Hope that helps ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueFinanceManager Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Rolling cars down slopes of varying steepness and measuring lengths cars travelled Use trucks and weigh them then add stuff and send them down slope to see if they go further or shorter distance Capacity...how many things can you get in the back of the tuck....lots of smaller objects or fewer big things then weigh the content to see if big things are heavier or lighter even though they take up more space Very good with groups of boys and can make it a bit of a competition to see whose truck goes furthest etc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 We did the old drawing round their bodies on wallpaper today - hadn't done it for so long, that none of our current intake had done it. Lots of excitement and then they measured themselves afterwards, lovely busy morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 interesting thing came up in our ELKLAN training ....did you know you should never teach opposite concepts together? eg heavy /light, thick/ thin etc as each concept should be taught separately . So when talking about something being heavy ...it is either heavy or not heavy ...this of course is when children are starting to learn these concepts for the first time 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Thank you for your replies. Does anyone know of any good websites for ideas too? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasminerose Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 is it ever still OK to measure in inches, or is that old school. For instance, if the child is measuring a tower of bricks, it is easier for them to count out 9 inches than to count in cms. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 is it ever still OK to measure in inches, or is that old school. For instance, if the child is measuring a tower of bricks, it is easier for them to count out 9 inches than to count in cms. What do you think? Why not make your own scale of measurement? So a tower is 8 fire engines tall, or 2 teacups. Make it relevant to the children Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildflowers Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 (edited) For weight we make a large scale of a plank over a log and put bricks on either side. You can also hold a stone and a larger scrunched up piece of paper and ask the children to predict which will fall the fastest and then discuss what that says about their weight. For capacity we model 'full', 'empty' and 'half full' when e.g. pouring water, and ensure that they are confidently able to use these concepts. Same for tall, short, high, low, heavy, light, long, short, near, close, far, plus the ones for quantity and position - to model their use and encourage discussion in context, as opportunities arise. /.../ did you know you should never teach opposite concepts together? eg heavy /light, thick/ thin etc as each concept should be taught separately . So when talking about something being heavy ...it is either heavy or not heavy ...this of course is when children are starting to learn these concepts for the first time Why not? Edited March 29, 2014 by Wildflowers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green hippo Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Why not? It is about the acquisition of language - when children are introduced to a new concept it is a big thing for them to deal with - as it is new language plus new knowledge and understanding together. This is quite a lot for young children to deal with all at once - if you give children too much to think about at once then their learning with not be as great or confused. Empty and full are 2 different concepts so should be taught in separation of each other. (This applies to teaching colours as well e.g. red and not red). It was also pointed out to us on our Elklan course that for children who find it difficult to sit upright then it can be helpful to introduce new learning while they are lying down (where appropriate of course) or in a supported position as they will be using a lot of their brain to just keeping themselves upright and therefore there won't be a lot of 'brain space' left for other learning. Green Hippo x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildflowers Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 That was enlightening! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 fab answer from green hippo (glad the training worked!) i related this to my daughter who has dyslexia....she had a problem with B's and D's this was already mixed up in her head....but teachers would insist on teaching them together so that she could see the difference ....of course she couldn't see the difference and every time someone put them together they reinforced the issue rather than breaking the chain! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts