Measurement lends itself especially well to the use of concrete materials. In fact, it is unlikely that children can gain a deep understanding of measurement without handling materials, making comparisons physically, and measuring with tools. Measurement concepts should grow in sophistication and breadth across the grades, and instructional programs should not repeat the same measurement curriculum year after year. However, it should be emphasized more in the elementary and middle grades than in high school. A measurable attribute is a characteristic of an object that can be quantified.
Line segments have length, plane regions have area, and physical objects have mass.
As students progress through the curriculum from preschool through high school, the set of attributes they can measure should expand. Recognizing that objects have attributes that are measurable is the first step in the study of measurement. Children in prekindergarten through grade 2 begin by comparing and ordering objects using language such as longer and shorter. Length should be the focus in this grade band, but weight, time, area, and volume should also be explored. In these grades, they learn that measurements can be computed using formulas and need not always be taken directly with a measuring tool.