Find the inch marks, which are the longest labeled lines on the ruler
Read the number next to each inch mark
Count the smaller lines between inch marks
Recognize that the longest line after an inch mark is usually the half-inch mark
Recognize that the next shorter lines are usually quarter-inch marks
Recognize that even shorter lines may show eighths or sixteenths of an inch
Start at zero when measuring
Place the object’s edge at the zero mark
Read the mark where the other end of the object stops
Use the fraction shown by the smallest line you can read accurately
Add whole inches and fractions together when needed
Check the ruler’s scale to confirm whether it uses fractions or decimal inches