Ruler Measure
Measure pencils and strips with a ruler in inches and centimeters.
How long is that pencil? Ruler Measure draws a pencil, crayon or paper strip next to a ruler and asks. The picture is drawn to scale from the same numbers as the answer, so the end of the object lines up with the right mark. Children practice reading the exact mark instead of guessing.
The levels build from whole inches and centimeters to half, quarter and eighth inches, then to centimeters and millimeters. The final two levels are the trickiest: an object that does not start at zero, and a question about how much longer one strip is than another.
What children practice
- Read whole centimeters and inches at the end of an object
- Read half, quarter and eighth inch marks
- Read centimeters and millimeters on a metric ruler
- Measure an object that starts away from zero by subtracting
- Find how much longer one strip is than another
Levels
- Level 1: Whole cm or inches
- Level 2: Half and quarter inch
- Level 3: Eighths of an inch
- Level 4: Centimeters and millimeters
- Level 5: Starts away from 0
- Level 6: How much longer?
How it works
- Six levels run from whole units to comparing two strips.
- Each question is multiple choice with a ruler drawn to scale.
- A wrong answer says try again, and a right answer explains which mark the end lines up with.
- The speaker button reads the question aloud.
Best for: A good fit for grades 1 to 5 when a child is learning to measure length or needs practice with fractions of an inch.
Tip for parents: Give your child a real ruler and let them measure household items such as a spoon, a leaf or a book. Ask for a guess first, then compare the estimate with the measurement.
Questions parents ask
Does it use inches or centimeters?
Both: Level 1 shows either whole inches or whole centimeters. Levels 2 and 3 are in inches with halves, quarters and eighths, and Level 4 uses centimeters and millimeters. Later levels can show either unit.
What does starts away from 0 mean?
In Level 5 the left end of the object sits at a mark such as 2 instead of at zero. The child has to subtract the starting mark from the ending mark, which is a very common point of confusion.
Do children need to know fractions?
Only for the inch levels. Level 1 uses whole units, so a child can begin without fractions. Answers like 3 1/2 or 2 3/8 appear in Levels 2 and 3, and the explanations show how small marks can be simplified.
Ready to try it?
Ruler Measure is free with a parent account. A parent adds a child profile, and the child's progress is saved.