Learn to Read a Ruler

Practice the 1/2" and 1/4" with the ruler game. When you have reached the score of 800, report your score to your teacher. Then continue on to Part Two below.

Reading a Ruler Part Two (1/8)

Practice the 1/8" with the ruler game. When you have reached the score of 1000, report your score to your teacher. Then continue on to Part Three below.

Reading a Ruler Part Three (1/16)

(figure 1)

1. The problem for most people is the little lines between the inch marks! We all know where the 1, 2, 3 etc. inch marks are located, but we don't know what the marks between the 1 inch mark and the 2 inch mark mean or what they stand for.

2. The longer the line (graduation), the larger the measurement: See how the inch mark is longer than the half inch mark? And, the half inch mark is longer than the 1/4 inch mark (see chart below). Once we see the differences in the actual marks themselves we can then remember the numbers.

3. Until you are more familiar with the rule, visualize or imagine that each 1/16 in. division is numbered as shown below (figure 2).

4. You may also fine it easier to count the graduations or divisions when you first start to use the rule. However, after some practice this should not be necessary.

5. One thing to remember, fractional measurements are always reduced to the lowest terms. A measurement of 8/16 would be read as 1/2; 2/16 as 1/8; etc

6. Remember that the 1 in. graduation is the longest, the ½ in. graduation is next, and so on down to the 1/16 in. graduation which is the shortest.

(Figure 2)

Inch and Feet Symbols