Teaching measurement in kindergarten usually starts with measuring tools that follow standard measurements, such as rulers or tape measures that show inches or centimeters. These common tools are valuable because they give children a sense of how long these units are and the children can start to learn how to get accurate results. Teach them to hold a ruler at the start of an object to accurately measure, and to mark the end with a pencil. Or, when measuring liquid in a flask or measuring cup, tell them to get down to eye level for accuracy.
If you choose to use alternate tools for measuring length, start by ensuring that each tool is the same length so each child gets the same result. You can use new pencils or crayons, cut up lengths of string, beads or strips of paper. If you want to teach how some measurements are relative, have the children personalize their measurements by using their shoes or handprints, so the results will be different for everyone.
To measure the area of an object, such as a rug, a desktop or a leaf, use objects that cover the area, such as blocks, large beads or cut-up squares of paper. The children can count how many units are used to cover up the object, then repeat with different objects to see if the area is larger or smaller.
Use cups, flasks, plastic stacking blocks and bowls to measure volume. Select ones that have different shapes, such as tall, narrow ones and short, wide ones, as well as round and square containers. This will show the children that taller containers don't necessarily have a larger volume than shorter, wider ones. Ask the children to predict which container will hold more water, then pour the water from one container into the other to see if they were right.