The magnitude of a particular object is characterized by such properties: comparability, variability and relativity

The determination of the value is possible only on the basis of comparison, since comparability is the main property of a quantity. Thanks to the comparison, one can come to an understanding of relations and to new concepts: "more", "less", "equal", which define different qualities, including length, width, height, volume, and many others.

The magnitude is also characterized by variability and relativity. One and the same object can be defined by us as greater or lesser depending on the size with which it is compared.

Comparability, variability, relativity - basic properties values ​​can - be understood preschool children in very specific form in, with various objects by isolating and comparing their length, width, height and volume.

Children of three years of age perceive the magnitude of objects undifferentiated, that is, they are guided by the total volume of the object, without distinguishing its length, width, height.

Children of four years already differentiated approach to the choice of objects in length or width, but provided that the length of the object exceeds the width. For children of senior preschool age, an insignificant period is required to master all three dimensions.

The measurement includes two logical operations: the first is the process of separation, which allows the child to understand that the whole can be broken up into parts; the second is a substitution operation, consisting of joining separate parts.

The essence of measurement is the quantitative fragmentation of the measured objects and the establishment of the magnitude of the given object with respect to the measure adopted. Through the measurement operation, a numerical relationship is established between the measured quantity and the preselected unit of measure, scale or standard.

The measurement activity is rather complicated. It requires specific skills, familiarity with the system of measures, the use of measuring instruments. The use of conditional measures makes the measurement available to children. The term "measurement by conventional measures" means the possibility of using measuring instruments.

In the kindergarten, children learn several types of measurement by a conventional measure. The first type is a linear measurement, when children learn to measure the length, width, height of various objects using a strip of paper, rods, ropes, steps and other conditional measures. The second type of measurement is the determination by means of a conventional measuring of the volume of bulk substances: children learn by the mug, a glass, a spoon and other containers to measure the amount of cereal, sugar in the package. The third kind is the measurement of conventional liquids to find out how many glasses of water in the decanter, etc.

The application of measures gives the accuracy of the relations "equality-inequality" established during the measurement, "part-whole", allows to reveal their properties more fully and deeper.

Thus, in a pre-school educational institution, measuring activity is elementary, propaedeutical. The child first learns to measure objects by conditional measures, and only as a result of this are the prerequisites created for mastering the "real" dimension.