3rd grade measuring length worksheets

The kind of problems you'll get

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

• Fluency. Write the length of each bar. 8 questions per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

When a bar starts at 2 and ends at 6, ask "how far did it travel?" instead of "where did it stop?" That one question fixes most wrong answers. For the fraction marks, count the small spaces out loud: two little jumps past 3 is 3 2/4, which is 3 1/2. Keeping a real ruler on the table makes the printed one feel familiar.

Watch for: Kids count the tick marks instead of reading the number at the end. The length is the number where the bar stops, not how many lines it crosses. Kids read the end tick even when the bar starts at a nonzero mark. Count the span from start to end, or subtract the start number from the end number.

Common questions about measuring length

How is this harder than the second grade version?

Two ways: the ruler now shows half and quarter inches, and some bars start at a nonzero mark, so your child measures the span instead of just reading the last number.

How should fraction answers be written?

As a whole number with a fraction and the unit, like 3 1/2 in. The answer key uses simplest form, so a bar ending two quarter-marks past 2 is 2 1/2 in.

Related worksheets

• 2nd grade measuring length A step easier, same skill
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• 3rd grade making change Same grade, nearby skill
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