Numbers and Space Intervals in Length Measurements in the Spanish Context: Proposals for the Transition to Measuring with the Ruler

• Published in: International journal of science and mathematics education Vol. 16; no. 7; pp. 1375 - 1386
• Main Authors: Gómezescobar, Ariadna, Fernández-Cézar, Raquel, Guerrero, Silvia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-10-2018; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Children; Concept Formation; Early Childhood Education; Education; Foreign Countries; Intervals; Mathematical Concepts; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Skills; Measurement; Measurement Equipment; Numbers; Science Education; Young Children; Spain; Preschoolers; Length measurements; Numbers; Space intervals
• ISSN: 1571-0068; 1573-1774
• DOI: 10.1007/s10763-017-9835-1

The present work shows how 4–6-year-old Spanish children interpret numbers and space intervals in the ruler when measuring length. To determine it, 4 ad hoc rulers are designed and used with a sample of 103 children from two schools of Toledo province (Spain). The sample is characterized respecting conservation and measurement with the standard ruler confirming that these children mostly neither conserve nor use the standard ruler correctly, regardless their time exposure to instruction. With the use of our rulers, we confirm that numbers hinder in measuring length, and discrete units imbedded in the ruler help children to measure correctly. A good scaffold is found to help children conceptualize space intervals as iterating objects consisting on the use of rulers with discrete units on them. Its use is recommended preceding the one of standard rulers.