We have a habit of making comparisons of things/objects/people, and this is why we understand the importance of learning more and less concept. The more and less concept can be anything from comparing two numbers, the age of two people, to the weight of two things or the height of two objects. Therefore, it is important for kids to understand how to use and represent more and less using symbols.
In this article, we have covered the information on more and less, their symbols, examples and some fun activities for kids to understand this concept. Let’s explore more and less concepts for kindergarten children.
What More Means?
More means something that is larger in number or amount of people or things.
Symbol Of More Than
More than symbol helps us to define which quantity/amount is larger than the other one. The greater than symbol in maths is “>”. This symbol is placed between two values in which one number is greater than the other number.
For example, 15 > 5. Here 15 is greater than 5.
What Less Means?
Less means something that is small in number or amount of people or things.
Symbol Of Less Than
Less than symbol helps us to define which quantity/amount is smaller than the other one. The less than symbol in maths is “<“. This symbol is placed between two values in which one number is smaller than the other number.
For example, 5 < 15. Here 5 is smaller than 15.
Examples Of More And Less
To help our little ones learn about the concept of more and less, we have covered some examples below to help them understand. Ask your child to notice the symbol between the numbers to know if it’s an example of more than or less than.
- 5 > 3 (5 is greater than 3)
- 2 < 4 (2 is smaller than 4)
- 7 > 3 (7 is greater than 3)
- 15 > 7 (15 is greater than 7)
- 7 < 20 (7 is smaller than 20)
- 9 > 2 (9 is greater than 2)
- 10 < 17 (10 is smaller than 17)
- 70 > 20 (70 is greater than 20)
- 1 < 8 (1 is smaller than 8)
- 6 > 1 (6 is greater than 1)
How Can You Teach More And Less Concept To Preschoolers?
More than and less than symbols are used to show the relationship between two numbers or quantities. The symbols show us which has a higher value and which has a smaller value. In this section, we have covered some activities for teaching concept of more and less to children, with the help of these hands-on activities. Your child will be easily able to understand the concept. Let’s begin!
1. Roll The Dice
What You Will Need
- 2 dice
Instructions
- Take 2 dice and ask your child to roll them.
- Check the number on both dice and ask your child to explain it using more and less.
- For example, if they get 5 and 3, they can say that 5 is greater than 3 or 3 is smaller than 5.
- Repeat the activity by rolling the dice again.
2. Sort And Tell
What You Will Need
- Basket
- Pom Pom – 2 colours
Instructions
- Take a basket and add pom poms of any 2 colours to it.
- Ask your child to sort the pom poms according to their colours and tell which one is more or less.
- This activity will also help your little one to enhance their fine motor skills as they sort the pom poms.
3. Compare & Tell
What You Will Need
- 10 blue building blocks
- 5 red building blocks
- 7 green building blocks
Instructions
- Using the blue building blocks, join them together to make a train.
- Have your child repeat using red, blue and green building blocks to make a train.
- Place the 3 trains next to each other and ask them, “Which train has the more number of building blocks?”
- Explain that the blue train is longer because it has MORE building blocks.
- Also, explain that the red train is shorter because it has LESS building blocks.
4. Count To Know
What You Will Need
- Crayons
- Sketch Pens
Instructions
- In a box, add 5 crayons and 7 sketch pens.
- Ask your child to count the crayons and sketch pens separately.
- Let them explain which one is less and which one is more in quantity.
We hope this article on more and less has helped your child to learn and understand the concept. The activities mentioned above will be very helpful in teaching your child as they will keep your little one engaged while learning an important mathematical concept. If you have any queries related to this topic, drop a comment below, and we will get back to you at the earliest.
Also Read:
Concept of Big Bigger Biggest for Kindergarten
Concept of Tall and Short for Preschoolers
Inside and Outside Concept for Kindergarten Kids
