When I first introduce the inequality symbols, I have been having the kids write out the words greater than, and less than, equal to. If x = 1 – then you would fill in the blank with stand for greater than. If x = 2 – then you would fill in the blank with = It’s basically a more dignified version of the alligator method for comparing numbers and takes much less time than drawing teeth.Īs a former middle school teacher who now teaches first grade, I have seen first hand what a disaster it is for a child that can’t just look at the (> and and , Two dots always face the bigger number and one dot always faces the smaller number, because two dots is bigger than one dot. A way that I’ve found works great with students is to put small dots on the symbols. But there are different, more “mathy” ways for kids to show their thinking in writing. Yes, yes, the alligator eats the bigger number, and it helps kiddos remember the difference.
They understand that one of the symbols means less than and the other means greater than, but they have trouble remembering which is which. That’s often more difficult because they are abstract symbols and totally meaningless to children. That’s an exercise in place value and is best handled through lots, LOTS, LOTS! (sorry, didn’t mean to yell…) of concrete practice building and comparing numbers. First, students need to understand quantity and determine which number is larger. There are really two steps involved in comparing numbers. And while I’m at it, PacMan is soooooooo 70s! It’s time to move past using alligators for comparing numbers.
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