Compare two written numerals between 1 and 10

Students will look at two written numerals between 1 and 10 and identify which is greater, which is less, or if they are equal, using their understanding of number order without needing to use objects.

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Kindergarten · Comparing Numbers and Quantities · question 1 of 3

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12 rungs. A star at the top.

Less than 6?

How it is taught

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Equal means both numerals name the same amount.

5 and 5 name the same 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.

Line the 9 apples in a row on the top tray.
Line the 6 apples under them, one under each.
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.

Saying 6 is more because those apples look bigger, without lining them up.

Line one apple under each. 3 apples stick out on the top tray, so 9 is more.

Which is more, 8 or 2? — 8. 8 is more than 2.

Compare 7 and 4

Today we will compare two numbers. Let's look at seven and four. Which one is greater?

Here is the number seven.

And here is the number four.

Let's use a number line. The numbers go from zero on the left, all the way up to ten on the right.

First, let's find four. We count one, two, three, four. There it is.

Now let's find seven. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Seven sits farther to the right.

On a number line, the number that is farther to the right is the bigger number.

Kindergarten · Which number is greater, 7 or 4?

So seven is greater than four. We write it like this, with the open side pointing to the bigger number.

Seven is greater than four. Great comparing!

What you see

While they climb, your page writes one true line to ask about tonight, and a short note each Sunday.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics

Did you know?

A chessboard has 64 squares — share them out between the 8 rows and each row holds exactly 8.

Today’s goal: 1 star — one skill mastered, every rung of its ladder climbed
Climbing now: Divide within 100

An example student.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics

Maya earned 2 stars this week — Interpret multiplication as equal groups, which took 6 answers over 3 days before its star landed 3 days ago and Multiply by 6, 7, 8 and 9. Next up: Divide within 100.

An example week.

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