Compare two written numerals between 1 and 5

A greater numeral names the bigger amount.

Print size does not change the amount.

Read it: Line them up to compare

You have 9 apples on one tray and 6 on the other. Counting both piles from 1 is slow. Line them up — the extra apples stick out.

1. Line the 9 apples in a row on the top tray.
2. Line the 6 apples under them, one under each.
3. Count the extras that stick out: 3. So 9 is more than 6.

Counting 9 then counting 6 from 1 works, but you can lose track of which pile was which.

When apples sit one under each, the extras stick out and you see which tray has more.

3 extras mean 9 is 3 more than 6, so 9 is more than 6.

Line the 2 trays up. The extras that stick out tell you which is more.

Which is more, 5 or 1? — 5. Pair them up: 4 apples on the first row are left unpaired, so 5 is more.