Grade 1 Math Book · Money & Measurement
Inch by Inch
by Leo Lionni
A clever inchworm saves himself from a hungry robin by offering to measure its tail. Soon he is measuring all kinds of birds, until a nightingale asks him to measure her song.
Why it's useful
A classic story for starting to talk about measuring length.
- Units of length. The inchworm uses his own body as a unit.
- Measuring end to end. Kids see measuring as repeating a unit with no gaps.
- Comparing lengths. Which bird has the longest tail or neck?
Try it in class or at home
- Inchworm rulers. Measure classroom objects with paper inchworms.
- Compare. Order objects from shortest to longest.
- Can you measure it? Talk about things you can't measure with a ruler, like a song.