Comparing

Q: How do I help my child compare two groups of objects at home?

Put two small groups of cereal pieces or blocks on the table. Ask your child to count each group out loud, then ask: which pile has more? Which has fewer? You can also line them up and match them one-to-one to see which has leftovers.

Q: What does the alligator mouth trick mean?

The symbols look like an open alligator mouth. The mouth always opens toward the BIGGER number because the alligator wants to eat the most food. So 3 < 7 means 3 is less than 7 — the mouth opens toward 7.

Q: When should my child use the word fewer versus less?

In kindergarten, either word is fine. Officially, fewer is for things you count one by one (fewer apples), and less is for amounts you measure (less water). Do not worry too much about this distinction yet.

Q: My child always says the bigger-looking pile has more. How do I fix this?

This is very common! Practice by spreading 3 blocks far apart and putting 5 blocks in a tight group. Ask which has more, then count together. Repeat often so your child learns to trust counting over looks.

Q: Is zero a number we can compare?

Yes! Zero means none at all. Zero is fewer than any other counting number. For example, 0 cookies is fewer than 1 cookie.

Q: What comes after comparing in math?

After comparing, kids learn to write number sentences using the symbols =, and start adding and subtracting small numbers.

Comparing means looking at two groups or numbers and deciding which is more, which is less, or if they are the same.

Reading is good — doing is better. Practice Comparing as an interactive lesson.

Try the lesson

Definition

When we compare, we look at two things side by side to see which one has more, which one has fewer (or less), or if they both have the same amount. We can compare groups of objects by matching them up one-to-one, or we can compare numbers to see which is bigger or smaller.

Remember the rule

Point and count each group, then ask: Which number is bigger? Bigger = MORE. Smaller = FEWER. Same number = EQUAL.

Key words

More: A group that has a bigger amount than another group. Example: 5 apples is more than 3 apples.
Fewer: A group that has a smaller amount than another group when counting things you can count. Example: 2 cats is fewer than 4 cats.
Less: A smaller amount. We often say 'fewer' for things we count and 'less' for amounts, but in kindergarten both words mean the smaller group.
Equal: Both groups or numbers are exactly the same amount. Example: 3 and 3 are equal.
Same: Another word for equal — both sides have the exact same number.
Compare: To look at two groups or numbers and decide which is bigger, smaller, or if they match.
More than: One number or group is bigger than the other. We can write it with the symbol >.
Less than: One number or group is smaller than the other. We can write it with the symbol <.

Worked examples

You have 4 strawberries and your friend has 6 strawberries. Who has more?

→ Your friend has more. 6 is more than 4. · Count each group and compare: 4 … 5 … 6 — 6 comes after 4, so 6 is bigger.

There are 3 dogs and 5 cats. Which group has fewer?

→ The dogs. 3 is fewer than 5. · 3 is a smaller number than 5, so 3 is fewer.

A jar has 2 cookies and another jar has 2 cookies. Are they equal?

→ Yes! Both jars have 2 cookies, so they are equal — the same amount. · When both numbers are exactly the same, we say equal or the same.

Which is more: 7 or 9?

→ 9 is more than 7. · 9 comes after 7 when we count, so 9 is the bigger number.

Line up 5 red blocks and 3 blue blocks. Match one red block to one blue block. Which color has blocks left over?

→ Red blocks have blocks left over. So red has more — 5 is more than 3. · Matching one-to-one (called one-to-one correspondence) is a great way to compare without even counting!

Which is fewer: 8 or 1?

→ 1 is fewer than 8. · 1 is very close to the start of counting, so it is a much smaller number than 8.

Common mistakes

Mixing up MORE and FEWER — remind your child: more means bigger group, fewer means smaller group.
Forgetting to count carefully before comparing — always count each group out loud first.
Thinking the group that takes up more space has more — a row of 3 big elephants does NOT have more than a row of 5 small ants. Count, do not just look at size.
Saying a group has more just because it is spread out — objects spread far apart can still be fewer than a neat pile.
Stopping at finding which is bigger and forgetting to check if the two groups might be equal.

FAQs

How do I help my child compare two groups of objects at home?

Put two small groups of cereal pieces or blocks on the table. Ask your child to count each group out loud, then ask: which pile has more? Which has fewer? You can also line them up and match them one-to-one to see which has leftovers.

What does the alligator mouth trick mean?

The symbols < and > look like an open alligator mouth. The mouth always opens toward the BIGGER number because the alligator wants to eat the most food. So 3 < 7 means 3 is less than 7 — the mouth opens toward 7.

When should my child use the word fewer versus less?

In kindergarten, either word is fine. Officially, fewer is for things you count one by one (fewer apples), and less is for amounts you measure (less water). Do not worry too much about this distinction yet.

My child always says the bigger-looking pile has more. How do I fix this?

This is very common! Practice by spreading 3 blocks far apart and putting 5 blocks in a tight group. Ask which has more, then count together. Repeat often so your child learns to trust counting over looks.

Is zero a number we can compare?

Yes! Zero means none at all. Zero is fewer than any other counting number. For example, 0 cookies is fewer than 1 cookie.

What comes after comparing in math?

After comparing, kids learn to write number sentences using the symbols =, <, and > and start adding and subtracting small numbers.

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