Units Of Measurement

Helping students understand the difference between full and empty is more than just a vocabulary lesson—it’s a critical first step in developing their understanding of capacity. These early terms help young learners make sense of how much a container can hold, laying the groundwork for future learning in measurement, comparison, and volume.

In this post, we’ll explore how to introduce capacity through Full and Empty Activities, what students need to know, common misconceptions to look out for, and practical strategies to support deep, hands-on learning in the Foundation classroom.

Why Full and Empty Activities Matter in Early Maths

Before students can measure or compare how much something holds, they need to develop an understanding of what full and empty actually mean.

These core capacity concepts are introduced through comparison, estimation, and play-based exploration and are explicitly linked to the Australian Curriculum Version 9.

Foundation students are expected to “compare and order objects based on measurable features such as length, mass and capacity using appropriate language”.

Research by Clements and Sarama (2009) supports this developmental pathway. Children learn measurement through conceptual stages, beginning with clear opposites—full and empty—and moving gradually toward understanding relative amounts like half full or nearly empty.

The best way to build this understanding is through repeated, active engagement with real materials and capacity-specific vocabulary.

What Students Need to Know and Do

To develop a strong understanding of capacity, young learners need repeated opportunities to explore what full and empty mean in hands-on, meaningful ways. These Full and Empty Activities help students connect language with action by:

• Exploring real materials such as water, sand, and rice using a variety of containers of different shapes and sizes
• Learning and applying key capacity vocabulary, including full, empty, half full, nearly empty, and almost full
• Measuring and comparing containers using non-standard units like scoops or cups to test and predict which holds more or less
• Communicating their thinking through maths talk, drawings, and sorting (labelling)

These capacity experiences should take place across multiple classroom contexts—water play, sensory tubs, cooking, story time, and even daily routines—so students see capacity concepts as part of their everyday world.

Common Misconceptions in Full and Empty Learning

When learning about capacity, young students often bring early assumptions that can lead to misconceptions. Common misunderstandings include:

• Taller holds more – Students may assume a tall, narrow container holds more than a shorter, wider one
• Confusing mass with capacity – A heavy container might be seen as full, even if it isn’t
• Judging by appearance – Children might call a container empty because they can’t see what’s inside, especially if it’s opaque
• Overlooking small amounts – A container might be described as empty even if there’s a small amount left inside
  

These misunderstandings are typical at this stage and are part of the learning process. What’s important is providing opportunities for students to test their thinking, talk through their ideas, and make adjustments based on real experience.

Teacher Tips for Full and Empty Activities

When planning and facilitating Full and Empty Activities, observe how students engage with capacity concepts. Look for:

• Use of accurate language—are they saying full, empty, or using vague terms like “a lot”?
• Clear reasoning—can they explain why a container holds more or less?
• Consistency—do they use the same measurement tool (e.g. the same scoop) to make fair comparisons?
• Transfer—can they apply their understanding in other contexts like snack time or cleaning up?

These insights will help you determine whether students are ready for more complex comparisons or need further exposure to foundational concepts.

Hands-On Full and Empty Activities for Foundation Students

Here are a variety of engaging, developmentally appropriate activities to bring full and empty to life in your classroom:

• Water Tray Sorting – Provide a range of transparent containers with different levels of water. Students sort them into groups: full, empty, half full, and more. Use labels or have students create their own.
• Scoop and Fill Challenge – Give students a scoop and several containers. Ask, “How many scoops will it take to fill this one?” Encourage them to count, predict, and compare.
• Picture Clip Cards – Use photo-based clip cards where students match containers to labels like full, empty, or half full. Great for small group work or maths rotations.
• Role-Play Stations – Set up a pretend café, potion lab, or juice bar. Include containers, jugs, scoops, and measuring tools. Invite students to fill, serve, and describe their actions.
• Story-Based Exploration – Use books to frame a learning problem. As students help the character find a container with the right capacity, pause for predictions, discussions, and reasoning. Click to see our “New Home For Goldie” Collection!
• Capacity Hunt – Send students on a classroom hunt to find one item that is full and one that is empty. Encourage them to justify their choices and share with the group.

These hands-on capacity activities are supported by our classroom resources—created to make planning, prep, and implementation easier for teachers. Each one reinforces key language and measurement concepts in playful, purposeful ways

Vocabulary to Support Full and Empty Activities

Building a strong understanding of capacity begins with clear, consistent language. Introducing and displaying key terms helps students connect what they see and do with the words they need to describe it. To support your teaching of full and empty, model and refer to this vocabulary often during activities, discussions, and classroom routines:

• full
• empty
• half full
• nearly full
• almost empty
• container
• scoop
• pour
• spill
• compare
• holds

Picture Books to Support Full and Empty Activities

Here’s a list of engaging picture books that explore the concepts of full, empty, and capacity in fun and relatable ways:

• Mr Archimedes’ Bath – Pamela Allen – This classic story follows Mr Archimedes as he tries to solve the mystery of why the bathwater keeps rising. It naturally introduces the concept of displacement and helps young learners connect volume and capacity in a fun, relatable way.
• Room for Ripley – Stuart J. Murphy – When Carlos prepares a fishbowl for his new guppy, he carefully measures the water he adds. This book highlights how we can measure liquid volume accurately and introduces standard and non-standard units of capacity.
• Who Sank the Boat? – Pamela Allen – A funny and engaging story that sparks inquiry into size, volume, and comparison. While it focuses on weight, it opens the door to exploring how different objects displace water and encourages discussion around what containers can hold.
• Pastry School in Paris – Cindy Neuschwander – This picture book blends storytelling with maths as children in a French pastry school learn to measure ingredients precisely. It introduces capacity in the context of cooking and reinforces the importance of using correct tools and units.
• A Beach for Albert – Eleanor May – Albert the mouse sets out to create his own beach in the backyard, using a range of containers to transport water. This story encourages capacity exploration through playful problem-solving and the idea of how much each container holds.
• Super Sand Castle Saturday – Stuart J. Murphy -Three friends build sandcastles using different tools and strategies. The story provides a concrete context for comparing the capacity of buckets and containers, supporting understanding of volume through everyday play.
• Capacity – Henry Pluckrose -This non-fiction text uses clear photographs and simple explanations to explore the idea of how much different containers can hold. Perfect for classroom discussions and linking real-world objects to mathematical vocabulary and comparisons.