Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Cognitive Development (CD)

Subdomain: Mathematical Thinking and Expression

Goal: Children compare, sort, group, organize and measure objects and create patterns in their everyday environment.

Skill Progression: Measuring

Age: 36-42 Months

Click here to go to all skills for ages 36-42 Months.

Have a set of blocks of different shapes and colors along with some small vehicles in another smaller container. If done in a classroom, the adult can play with a small group of children each day in this activity.

“Let’s make some bridges over our road, so people can walk over the road. What height should we use?” Hold up two lengths of blocks and say, “Should we use the taller or the shorter one?” Let a child name and pick one. While you are building carry on a conversation. “What did you do this morning before school? What are you going to do when you get home?”

The children now know and use major comparative words for length and height for two and three different sets of objects.

Take advantage of block play to address less familiar concepts such as height. Construction at this level involves beginning to experiment with more slightly elaborate combinations of blocks into vertical arrangements.