Understanding and using a range of skills to calculate weights and measures is a core numeracy skill that your child will keep returning to over their primary school years.
Learning about weights and measurement in primary school
In this section of the site you'll find lots of tips, tricks and techniques to help your child learn about weights and measurements. Make sure you understand the vocabulary used, such as imperial units, and capacity and find out which weights and measurements skills your child should master each year, in line with National Curriculum objectives.
Our teacher-created worksheets cover all the key areas of learning, including using the language of measurement, estimating and reading measurements of length, reading scales, using standard and non-standard units, comparing lengths, calculating perimeter and area and measuring volume. There are weights and measurements problems using real-life examples and household objects.
We also have on-screen activities on weights and measurement topics including measuring the weight of objects in grams and converting measurements between centimetres and metres.
Articles
Teachers' tricks for weights and measures
Weights and measures can be a really fun area of maths to teach in school – but one that can leave parents unsure of how to help at home. Teacher Phoebe Doyle has some hints and suggestions.
How do you 'convert into the same units'?
We explain what the phrase 'convert into the same units' means, how children are taught to convert units of measurement and techniques that teachers use to help children master this skill.
What is mass?
We explain what mass means, how mass is usually measured and how children are taught to convert from one unit of mass to another.
Tutorials
Converting measurements between centimetres and metres tutorial
Let our digital teacher show you how to convert measurements between centimetres and metres and then have a go yourself with some on-screen questions.
Comparing the volume of a cube and a cuboid tutorial
Let our digital teacher show you how to compare the volume of a cube and a cuboid, then see if you can answer the on-screen questions she sets.
Converting measurements between grams and kilograms tutorial
Let our digital teacher show you how to convert measurements between grams and kilograms, then see if you can answer some on-screen questions.
Worksheets
Comparing weights
A Year 2 maths worksheet created by a teacher to help your child learn how to compare weights of two household objects to see which is the heaviest.
Comparing measures: ranking things in order
A practical cut out and stick activity that will help your child compare sizes from the shortest to the tallest. Great for visual learners.
Capacity problems challenge
Can you answer these capacity problem challenges? There are four for you to tackle. You can change the amounts to ml. and draw pictures where it helps.
Also see:
Discover some cool maths games to play with your child
Add an extra learning dimension to family game time - try one of the board games from the Cool maths games learning pack and help reinforce your child's knowledge of number bonds, percentages and fractions while you play.
If you want to make maths more enjoyable for your child, print out a board game (or two) and settle down for some cozy, round-the-kitchen-table fun your children will be asking you to make time for. As well as play value, each game offers huge learning opportunities, so pick a skill to revise, print out the game rules, board and counters and get playing!
