Early Math Counts

• Assemble several “alligator mouths.” You can be as creative as you like, using green-painted popsicle sticks glued together on an angle and decorated with a googly eye and sharp teeth, for example. Or you can use two strips of paper joined together with a brass brad. The children really love the idea of an alligator eating “more” of something. Physically positioning the alligator’s mouth towards the larger quantity helps to solidify the concept.
• A deck of cards with face cards and Aces taken out of the deck.
• The book, Alfie the Alligator, by Sandy Turley

 

Note: Small parts pose a choking hazard and are not appropriate for children age five or under. Be sure to choose lesson materials that meet safety requirements.

1. Introduce the concepts of “more than,” “less than” and “equal to” by reading the book, Alfie the Alligator, a whimsical story rhyme about an alligator who takes his friends on a journey to find the largest numbers. The book teaches the concept of comparing numbers and reinforces the use of the greater than (>) less than (<) and equal (=).

• Explain the game. Draw two cards from the pile and place them side by side with a space in between. Model the mathematical phrasing that will help the children understand the concept of “greater.”
• Say: “Let’s pretend these numbers are cookies. Would Alfie the Alligator rather have six cookies or three cookies?” The children respond: “He wants six cookies.” Say: “That’s right. Alfie is hungry and six cookies are more than three cookies. And three cookies are less than six cookies. So we will place Alfie’s open mouth towards the bigger number of cookies.”
• Have the children play through the deck of cards, alternating turns. As was modeled, have the children say a sentence about how it was done. For example, six cookies are more than three cookies.
• Be sure to model the correct vocabulary if two numbers are the same.

Additional Extensions

• Use items other than playing cards. For larger numbers, use counting manipulatives such as colored bears or dried kidney beans.
• Transfer to “More than, less than, equal to” worksheets where there are two numbers or two groups of objects and a box between the two numbers. In the box, have the children draw the “more than” sign to indicate which of the two numbers is larger. Worksheets can be downloaded at www.themeasuredmom.com/less-than-greater-than-math-activity-using-toys/

• More than: Words used to compare quantity (e.g.,”Six cookies are more than three cookies.”)
• Greater than: More than; shows relationship between numbers (e.g.,”The number six is greater than the number three.”)
• Less than: A value that is smaller in number (e.g.,”The number three is less than the number six.”)
• Equal: To be the same in number or amount (e.g.,”There are equal amounts of cookies.”)

Early Math Glossary

Adapt Lesson for Toddlers

Toddlers may:

• Have trouble identifying which number is greater

Child care providers may:

• Model the mathematical phrasing that will help the children understand the concept of “greater.” Say: “Let’s pretend that these numbers are cookies. Would Alfie the Alligator prefer six cookies or three cookies?”  The children respond: “He wants six cookies.” Say: “That’s right. Alfie is hungry. Six cookies are more than three cookies and three cookies are less than six cookies. So we will place Alfie’s open mouth towards the bigger number of cookies.”
• Get small objects, like dried beans, to help the children count out the quantities. If they are able to answer the problems correctly, the difficulty is with number sense; they need more practice matching written numbers and quantities so this connection becomes more secure.

Adapt Lesson for Preschoolers

Preschoolers may:

• Grasp the idea that the alligator’s open mouth goes toward the larger number
• Have a command of the numbers 2–9 (the numbers on the playing cards)

Child care providers may:

• Transfer to “More than, less than, equal to” worksheets, where there are two numbers or two groups of objects and a box between the two numbers. Have the children draw the “more than” sign in the box to indicate which of the two numbers is larger. Worksheets can be downloaded at: www.mathaids.com/Greater_Than_Less_Than/Kindergarten_Integers.html.
• Use items other than playing cards. For larger numbers, use counting manipulatives such as colored bears or dried kidney beans.