Do your children struggle to remember the difference between area and perimeter?
It's a very common problem when we're teaching area and perimeter, that children often mix up the two, and can't remember the correct problem-solving method as a result.
So let's look at some ways to help our children remember the difference between area and perimeter.
1. Start with Books
We often remember important things when they're told through stories rather than facts. That's because storytelling has been a method of passing on knowledge for centuries and is found in every culture.
Today's children are no different. So, why not teach math concepts through books?
We're lucky that these days mathematician-authors have realized this is a great way for children to learn about area and perimeter and have written books that are engaging and explain the concepts through stories.
I recommend the MathStart series, and their book "Bigger, Better, Best!" explains the concept of area as three siblings compare the sizes of various things in their new home by measuring the area using paper.
"Racing Around" is all about perimeter, and it's very relatable and shows children how we can use perimeter in our daily lives.
2. Use Hands-on Materials (aka manipulatives)
Children understand concepts much easier when they get to use manipulatives.
For perimeter, we can use pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, match sticks, and straws. Even pens or pencils work. Have children make a shape or picture with their manipulatives, and then measure around them using rulers.
For area, we need objects that are squares, because squares tesselate (fit together with no gaps), and they're the introduction to the concept of square units.
Dice, cubes, pattern block squares, blocks, bricks, post-it notes, sheets of paper, and even square crackers can all be used to cover the area of a surface. Children could cover the area of their workbook, their desk, a rug, a window, or a whiteboard. They could count all the individual squares, but they'll realize that a faster way is to count the number of rows and columns and multiply them.
If children have had lots of practice with arrays, they'll be able to use the same skill to work out area.
3. Make it Meaningful
Understanding how we use math concepts in the real world is important for children so that they can see that the skills they're learning are useful and meaningful.
If it's meaningful, it's more likely to be remembered.
So, how do we use perimeter in real life?
- Putting a fence around a playground, swimming pool, or backyard
- Finding where the boundary is of our school or home
- Finding the measurements for putting in a new garden bed
- Putting fences around a field or painting around the edge of a sports ground
- Framing pictures
- Boundaries or borders around cities, states, and countries
How about area in real life?
- Putting new carpet in a room
- Comparing the size of our bedroom with our sibling's, or for parents, comparing the size of a house
- Working out how many plants fit in an area of garden space
- Farmers need to know the area of fields for planting and fertilizing crops
- Builders need to work out their costs based on the area of a room
- Deciding how many solar panels are needed to cover a roof
- Working out how much paint to buy to paint a wall
- Airports need to know if they have enough area for planes to move around without bumping into each other
4. Use Visual Aids, Chants, and Word Play
It's not just visual learners that appreciate visual aids. We can help all our learners to remember perimeter with the examples above.
Perimeter with a plus sign instead of a "T" helps children to remember that we add the sides when we're calculating perimeter.
The word "RIM" is also inside "Pe-RIM"-eter", and a rim is around the edge of something, like a jar, or hat.
Some children may find the following saying helpful:
A = all of the inside of a shape
P = the path around the outside of a shape
You could even tell silly stories like these ones:
Peri wanted to see how long it would take to ride around the block. His mother waited at home with a stop watch. Peri rode around the block until he came back to meet her. (peri-meet-her = perimeter)
Aerial loved jello. One day she decided to fill her pool with jello. She covered the whole area of the pool with jello! Once it had set, she did an aerial summersault into the pool.
Here's another one about words: teach the Greek and Latin meanings of the words.
Perimeter comes from Greek. Peri means around and metron means measure.
Area comes from Latin. The word area means vacant piece of ground.
Chants can be useful too. If you know some good ones, leave a comment below.
5. Combine Math with Art
Children love an opportunity to do art, so why not tie in math with an art project?
With this free memory aid, children visually see that the word "AREA" covers the whole area of the rectangle when they color it in.
Children write the word "PERIMETER" around the outside of the rectangle, reinforcing that perimeter measures around the edge of a shape.
You can grab the freebie here.
6. Do an Activity that Combines Art, Math, and Real Life
All kids would love to design their dream bedroom or dream treehouse, so these area and perimeter practice activities will spark their imagination and creativity! Plus, they'll get plenty of practice at applying concepts of perimeter and area.
There are two different design options – a dream bedroom and a dream treehouse, so you can choose one or the other, or use both. Each design comes with options for perimeter, area, or perimeter and area. Measurements include centimeters and inches, and area also includes square units.
Students choose the items they'd like to add to their dream bedroom or treehouse, draw them on the grid, then measure and record the area and/or perimeter.
You can grab this fun resource here.
To Sum Up
There are lots of ways to help children remember the difference between area and perimeter.
I hope you find one of these ways useful, and if you have any more suggestions of what's worked for you, leave a comment below.
Try mazes as a fun way to practice calculating area with this pack here:
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