How Big is a Foot?

Yesterday we read aloud a story, How Big is a Foot, by Rolf Myller. The story is about a king who wants to give his queen a new bed for her birthday. However, not one person in the kingdom knows the answer to a very important question: how big is a bed? because beds at the time had not yet been invented. The king decides to use his big feet as a unit of measurement and tells the carpenter that he should make the bed 6ft by 3 ft. However, trouble follows when the carpenter uses his small feet and the bed comes out much smaller. The king is furious and sends the carpenter to jail. Ask your child how the carpenter solves the problem.

Today in your child's folder, you will find a homework sheet along with their "paper foot". Please support your child this weekend with this little assignment. They will go around the house and measure any items of their choice (i.e. bed, TV, toy box, bookshelf etc.). First they have to make an estimation, and then do the actual measurement. Ask your child what an estimation is and what strategies they use to make a close estimation! Have fun!