Fun with More or Less

It's time for fun with more, less, and equal!

We started with a handy dandy anchor chart. I confess. I'm not cute-cutesy and neither are my anchor charts, but they work. We started with the part at the top to introduce the math vocab and added the bottom part with the signs after my kids showed that they were awesome and clearly ready for a challenge!

To practice more and less, WE PLAYED THE MOST FUN GAME EVER!!!! WITH TRASH!!!!

Ok, let me back up...

Every kid balled up 2 sheets of scrap paper.

They threw them on the carpet.

(Needless to say, they were hooked) 

2 kids had 5 seconds to pick up as many trash balls as they could.

We counted each kid's trash and compared the numbers.
Repeat. 

 

Who wouldn't love that??

In small groups, we used mats to show groups that are more, less, and equal to a given number.

We also counted and compared groups and numbers on these cards...Thanksgiving style! These cards emphasized that you compare numbers left to right instead of just saying the number that's more (which kids seem to instinctively want to do).

 

If you're interested, you can find these cards in my Thanksgiving pack on TPT
Or get it today as a fan freebie on my Facebook page

Need another fun game? We played War with playing cards. Take the face cards out and the kids go to town laying down cards and deciding which is bigger. So fun!

WAR! What is it good for?!
Absolutely nothing...but teaching more and less!

 

Since the majority of my kids were doing so well with more and less, we introduced the greater than and less than sign. They caught on SO FAST! Here are a couple of youtube videos that helped us introduce the signs. The first one is my favorite. HILARIOUS!!!!

 

The second one is pretty good, too!


I then gave my students number cards and popsicle sticks and they practiced making the sign and saying their comparison sentence.

When it came time to draw the signs, I used this trick. Draw 2 dots next to the big number and 1 dot next to the small number. Then connect the dots side to side.

 

If the numbers are the same, draw 2 dots next to each number and connect the dots.

Survey question: I've heard math people say not to teach the greater than and less than sign by calling them alligators. Something about how kids never learn which sign is which. However, the alligator mouth comparison always helped me, so I teach it.

To use alligator mouths or not to use alligator mouths. That is the question. Thoughts?