Ordering Similar Objects by Measurable Attributes (Early Math Collaborative)

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Early childhood teacher candidates engage in an adult learning activity that has them order and reorder objects by size according to different attributes. This activity explores the idea that measurement requires us to identify a measurable attribute of an object-“What kind of “big” is it?-and make a comparison to find its size relative to something else. This is one example of how we engage pre- and in-service teachers in the Big Ideas so that they deepen their own mathematical content knowledge.
Why is this important?
Adult learning activities give teachers opportunity to engage directly with mathematics as learners. To teach for understanding requires that teachers have their own deep understanding of the Big Ideas of early mathematics.
BIG IDEA: Many different attributes can be measured, even when measuring a single object.
"Children who internalize the fact that a single object can be measured in different ways are more likely to think about, notice, or point out which attribute is being considered whenever a discussion is about size or number."
© Erikson Institute’s Early Math Collaborative. Reprinted from Big Ideas of Early Mathematics: What Teachers of Young Children Need to Know (2014), Pearson Education.
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