Measuring length — measure lines with a ruler

Measuring with a ruler looks easy to adults, but children make the same two mistakes again and again: they start at the end of the ruler instead of at zero, and they count the marks instead of the spaces. These sheets are built to fix that. At the first level a ruler is printed right under each line, starting exactly at zero. At the second level the lines float on the page and children use their own ruler. At the third level they draw lines of a given length. Every line prints at its true size, so a 7 cm line really measures 7 cm.

📏 Best for ages 6–9

How to get the most from these sheets

• Print at 100% scale: in the print window, choose “Default” or “100%”, not “Fit to page”.
• Show where zero is on the ruler: it is often not at the very edge.
• Place the zero exactly on the start of the line, then read the number at the other end.
• For the drawing level, press firmly on the ruler so it does not slide.

Frequently asked questions