Measuring with a ruler means lining up the end of an object with zero and reading the number at its other end. Third graders measure to the nearest half inch and quarter inch, which means reading the small marks between the whole numbers. On this worksheet your child looks at nine bars lying above an inch ruler and writes the length of each one in inches.
Building Confidence uses whole and half inches such as 4 1/2, On Level uses any quarter inch, and Challenge Me uses the odd quarters such as 2 3/4. Ask your child to check that the bar begins at zero and to count the small marks past the last whole number, remembering that two marks make a half and four marks make a whole.
What your child will learn
Line up the end of an object with zero on a ruler
Read whole, half and quarter inches
Write a length in inches
Common Core standard: 3.MD.B.4
Worked example
A bar that stops halfway between the 4 and the 5 is 4 1/2 inches long.
Common mistake
Counting the marks on the ruler instead of reading the number at the end of the bar.
Helpful hint
Start at zero. Read the whole number, then the small marks after it.