Alternative Measuring
Episode # 101. Skipping Rope
In a large cylinder-shaped box, the children give the Storypeople a red jump rope. Sister skips with the rope and soon the others want a turn. The children solve the problem by providing another rope that can be attached to the first. The result is a rope that is twice as long - long enough for everyone to jump together.

Directions
To let all the Storypeople jump rope, the children in the program help the Storypeople make their rope longer. To help your child learn about length, take a day to measure objects in your home or neighborhood.

Together with your child, take your piece of rope and determine which things are longer and which things are shorter than your rope. To practice estimating, ask your child to guess the answer before you actually put the rope next to the item you are measuring.

If your child has mastered that game, use your rope like a ruler. How many ropes tall is your favorite stuffed animal or the refrigerator? Be sure to measure things that are smaller as well as larger than your rope and count as you go.

As you explore with your child, you can introduce mathematics vocabulary. For example, "the shoe is half the size of our string" or "the window is three times as tall as our ribbon". The idea is to give your child a "feel" for numbers and numerical relationships that will make it easier for them when they learn mathematics in school.

Talk About It
While viewing the Skipping Rope episode, you might start a conversation by asking your child: How many different ways do you see the Storypeople jump over the rope? How many other ways can you think of to jump rope? If you have a rope available, you might invite him to try different ways to jump and help him name what he does: "Look, you hopped over the rope on your left foot!".

As you talk about the things on screen, you can help expand your child's vocabulary by alternating the words you use with their synonyms. For example, in the Skipping Rope episode, you can talk about the Storypeople skipping rope or jumping rope.