Year 1: Tall and short
Part of the Year 1 length and height chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Tall and short
Some things stand up. We measure how tall they are, from the bottom to the top. This is their height.
A tall thing is high. A short thing is low. When things stand on the same ground, the one that reaches higher is taller. The one that is lower is shorter.
With three or more things, the tallest is the highest and the shortest is the lowest.
Key ideas
- Stand things on the same ground to compare heights.
- Taller means higher from the bottom.
- Shorter means lower from the bottom.
- Tallest is the highest. Shortest is the lowest.
Key words. Longer means it reaches further. Shorter means it stops sooner. Taller means it is higher.
Method. Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Then see which one is taller.
- Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Start both at the same place, so the comparison is fair.A and B start together
- Count the units to check. Count each one, one unit at a time.A: 6 cubes, B: 4 cubes
- Compare the two. Look at the tops. The one that is higher is taller, and the one that is lower is shorter.6 > 4
- Write the answer. A is taller.
Check. Look at the picture again. A and B start together, and A is the taller one. ✓
Watch out. Do not judge only by where a thing is on the page. Line them up first.
Key words. Longest and tallest mean the biggest. Shortest means the smallest.
Method. Measure each one. The tallest one has the biggest number.
- Measure each one. Count or read the length of each one.Noah: 5 cubes
Priya: 7 cubes
Amira: 3 cubes - Find the biggest number. Compare the numbers, not the names.7 is the biggest number
- Write the answer. Priya is the tallest one.
Check. The other ones have less than 7. ✓
Watch out. Look at every one before you choose. The first one you see is not always the answer.
Key words. Smallest first means the shortest or lowest number comes first.
Method. Measure each one, then put them in order, starting with the smallest number.
- Measure each one. Count or read the length of each one.A: 5 cubes
B: 2 cubes
C: 4 cubes - Put them in order, starting with the smallest. Put the next one after the one before it.B, C, A
- Write the names in order. B, C, A
Check. There are 3 names in the question and 3 in the answer. ✓
Watch out. Check you have not left one out.
Watch out
Watch out: a tower looks taller when it is nearer to you or on a stool. Compare them on the same ground, from the bottom.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Stand two cups or boxes on a table. Ask: “Which is taller? Which is the shortest of the three?” Let your child stack cubes or coins to show each height.
Exercise 7B Taller and shorter
Non-calculatorKey words. Longer means it reaches further. Shorter means it stops sooner. Taller means it is higher.
Method. Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Then see which one is taller.
- Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Start both at the same place, so the comparison is fair.A and B start together
- Count the units to check. Count each one, one unit at a time.A: 3 cubes, B: 8 cubes
- Compare the two. Look at the tops. The one that is higher is taller, and the one that is lower is shorter.3 < 8
- Write the answer. B is taller.
Check. Look at the picture again. A and B start together, and B is the taller one. ✓
Watch out. Do not judge only by where a thing is on the page. Line them up first.
Key words. Longer means it reaches further. Shorter means it stops sooner. Taller means it is higher.
Method. Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Then see which one is shorter.
- Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Start both at the same place, so the comparison is fair.A and B start together
- Count the units to check. Count each one, one unit at a time.A: 7 cubes, B: 5 cubes
- Compare the two. Look at the tops. The one that is higher is taller, and the one that is lower is shorter.7 > 5
- Write the answer. B is shorter.
Check. Look at the picture again. A and B start together, and B is the shorter one. ✓
Watch out. Do not judge only by where a thing is on the page. Line them up first.
Key words. Longest and tallest mean the biggest. Shortest means the smallest.
Method. Measure each one. The tallest one has the biggest number.
- Measure each one. Count or read the length of each one.A: 4 cubes
B: 9 cubes
C: 6 cubes - Find the biggest number. Compare the numbers, not the names.9 is the biggest number
- Write the answer. B is the tallest one.
Check. The other ones have less than 9. ✓
Watch out. Look at every one before you choose. The first one you see is not always the answer.
Key words. Longest and tallest mean the biggest. Shortest means the smallest.
Method. Measure each one. The shortest one has the smallest number.
- Measure each one. Count or read the length of each one.A: 5 cubes
B: 2 cubes
C: 8 cubes - Find the smallest number. Compare the numbers, not the names.2 is the smallest number
- Write the answer. B is the shortest one.
Check. The other ones have more than 2. ✓
Watch out. Look at every one before you choose. The first one you see is not always the answer.
Key words. Longer means it reaches further. Shorter means it stops sooner. Taller means it is higher.
Method. Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Then see which one is taller.
- Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Start both at the same place, so the comparison is fair.Ruby and Chloe start together
- Count the units to check. Count each one, one unit at a time.Ruby: 6 cubes, Chloe: 8 cubes
- Compare the two. Look at the tops. The one that is higher is taller, and the one that is lower is shorter.6 < 8
- Write the answer. Chloe is taller.
Check. Look at the picture again. Ruby and Chloe start together, and Chloe is the taller one. ✓
Watch out. Do not judge only by where a thing is on the page. Line them up first.
Key words. Smallest first means the shortest or lowest number comes first.
Method. Measure each one, then put them in order, starting with the biggest number.
- Measure each one. Count or read the length of each one.A: 3 cubes
B: 7 cubes
C: 5 cubes - Put them in order, starting with the biggest. Put the next one after the one before it.B, C, A
- Write the names in order. B, C, A
Check. There are 3 names in the question and 3 in the answer. ✓
Watch out. Check you have not left one out.
Key words. Longer means it reaches further. Shorter means it stops sooner. Taller means it is higher.
Method. Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Then see which one is shorter.
- Stand them on the same ground, at the bottom. Start both at the same place, so the comparison is fair.A and B start together
- Count the units to check. Count each one, one unit at a time.A: 2 cubes, B: 6 cubes
- Compare the two. Look at the tops. The one that is higher is taller, and the one that is lower is shorter.2 < 6
- Write the answer. A is shorter.
Check. Look at the picture again. A and B start together, and A is the shorter one. ✓
Watch out. Do not judge only by where a thing is on the page. Line them up first.
Method. Measure each one. Two of them match exactly, so they are the same length.
- Measure each one. Read or count the length of each one.A: 4 cubes
B: 4 cubes
C: 7 cubes - Find the two that match. Things with the same length are the same length.A = 4, B = 4
- Write the answer. A and B
Check. Compare each pair to check. Only A and B match. ✓
Watch out. Measure, do not guess from the picture.
Method. Find who is taller than whom, one step at a time.
- Jack is taller than Leo. Write down the first pair.Jack > Leo
- Leo is taller than Mei. Now put Mei on the list.Jack > Leo > Mei
- Find the shortest. Mei is the lowest on the list.Mei is the shortest
Check. The tallest is at the top, and the shortest is at the bottom: Jack, Leo, Mei. ✓
Watch out. Put the names in a line, tallest at the top, and check each pair.
Method. Compare the two towers from the bottom to the top.
- Count tower A. Count the cubes from the bottom.A: 5 cubes
- Count tower B. Count the cubes from the bottom.B: 8 cubes
- Compare them. The one with more cubes is higher.8 > 5
- Write the answer. Fatima is not right, because B is taller.No. Tower B is taller.
Check. Stand the cubes in a tower and count them. B has 8. ✓
Watch out. Tower A is wider, but it is not taller.
Method. Think about how a tower is built.
- Look at the towers. Each tower is made of cubes stacked on top of each other.A: 4 cubes, B: 7 cubes
- Think about the heights. Cubes of the same size, stacked on the same ground, make the tower taller.More cubes means higher
- Write the answer. So a tower with more cubes is taller, when the cubes are the same size.Yes, if the cubes are the same size.
Check. Count each tower again: 4 and 7. 7 is more than 4. ✓
Watch out. This is true only when the cubes are the same size and stacked on the same ground.