Comparing numbers is an important skill in Math. These dinosaur-themed More Than, Less Than worksheets lets your child practice this concept.
More than, Less Than and Equal To are simple concepts. But mastering what symbols to use can be confusing for beginners. Below are some tips in teaching More Than, Less Than.
Teaching Tips for More Than, Less Than
- Teach in your Mother Tongue. This worked for us. At first, Gab was confused when I asked him which is more and which one is less. He was confused. But when I asked him in our dialect, “Diin damo?” and “Diin diotay?”, he can instantly answer it correctly. So try to teach using your local dialect first.
- Don’t focus on the symbols yet. Using the symbols <, > and = , are abstract concepts for younger students. So instead of letting Gab write the symbols himself, I just let him point to the number which is more, or the number which is less. I then write the symbols myself and we read it together. For example, 4 > 3 is read as four is more than three. Or 3 < 7 is read as three is less than seven. The repetitive reading helps enforce the abstract concept of the symbols later on.
Tricks in Mastering the Symbols
I confess that I sometimes interchange the symbol of more than and less than. I was already in high school that a teacher gave us a tip. Here are some tricks you can try to master the symbols.
- L Method. This method is simple. The word LESS THAN starts with a letter L, so the symbol that looks most like an L is the one that means less than. By tilting the sign < a little bit, it will look like an L. So that means < means LESS THAN.
- Try this BIG and small technique from Math is Fun. The “small” end always points to the smaller number, like this:
- Use your hands. This tip was from our teacher Sir Navarro. Look at both hands with your palms facing outward. You will notice that your Left hand will make the Less Than sign when you tilt it. So LEFT HAND makes LESS THAN. Both starts with the letter L. But if you are also confused where you left hand and right hand are, then that’s another problem. 🙂
Do you get it now? Time to practice by downloading our More Than, Less Than Worksheets for FREE. We added the Equal To in the worksheets but that should break a sweat.
The More Than, Less Than worksheet below may be a bit tricky. Will the child answer the last one, correctly? It’s a good one for discussion and to further enforce the concept.
For more math worksheets, visit our Math Page.
