We are all accustomed to using manipulatives for math, but Master Innovations has taken this concept to a new level with the introduction of The Master Ruler. 

For this review, members of the TOS Homeschool Crew were given The Master Ruler (both Standard and Metric), The Master Ruler Workbook, and a Marvels of Measures Poster. 

According to the Master Innovations website, “The Master Ruler is the most revolutionary, unique, creative, and effective product teaching measurement to come on the market today.  The Master Ruler is actually SEVERAL rulers in one.  It is the only ruler of its kind that makes learning to measure easy and fun!  Ideal for learning equivalent fractions, scale drawings, area, and perimeter easily too!  It’s colorful design appeals to students instantly while teachers love the way it simplifies and compliments their teaching methods.  The high quality packaging with “easy to use” instructions is visually stimulating and adds excitement to the classroom.”

But you don’t just have to take their word for it!   You can view the results of their scientific research studies on the website.

Watch this video to see how it works:

We really enjoyed using The Master Ruler!   The Standard Ruler has five separate layers on a hinge, with each layer representing different fractions of the inch.  Each layer is printed with a different color making it easy to distinquish between the fractional parts.  The Metric Ruler is layed out the same way, with just three layers; one for decimeter, one for centimeter, one for millimeter.   The back of the rulers have handy measurement keys for reference.

The Master Ruler Workbook contains 21 pages of practice exercises, with everything from measure by inch to measure by millimeter.  It also has a section on using the rulers to add and subtract fractions, find equivalent fractions, reduce fractions, and determine improper fractions.  My daughter thought that concept was very helpful and wished she had learned fractions using that method!  The workbook also contains some mapping exercises where 1 inch = 1 mile and 1 cm = 800 km to learn distance conversions.   One of our favorite parts of the workbook is the Measuring Chart on the first page.  It uses pictures to represent metric concepts.  For example, a picture of several city blocks are used to represent a kilometer, a guitar to represent a meter, and the thickness of a dime for a millimeter.

The Marvels of Measures! poster is another helpful visual for comparing length, capacity, and weight.  If it was a little smaller, I would be tempted to hang it in the kitchen so that I would remember how many pints are in a quart! 

 We really enjoyed reviewing this product and plan to continue using it.  For that reason, we would award this product Four Rocks.  (The product fell a little short of perfect due to typos on their website and materials provided.  Other than that, we thought it was a wonderful tool for learning measurement!)

  **********************************************************************************

Purchase from:   Master Innovations, LLC

Price:  Master Rulers $9.95 each, Workbook: $15.95, Poster: $10.00

Age/Grade: Elementary through High School

Other Products Available:

Master Clock, Master Fractions, Master Angles

Disclaimer:  Members of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew were given access to this product free of charge in exchange for their honest review.  No other compensation of any kind has been received. 

For more reviews on this product, please visit: