More, Fewer, Same

Once your child can count, the next big idea is comparing. Which group has more? Which has fewer? Are they the same?

What we're learning

• The words "more," "fewer," and "same"
• How to compare two groups by counting each one
• How to compare two groups by lining them up (without counting)

Two ways to compare

There are two correct ways to figure out which group has more, and they're worth practicing both:

1. Line them up

Put the two groups side by side, in two parallel rows. Pair them off — one from group A, one from group B. Whichever group has leftovers has more.

This is powerful because you don't need to know the count to do it. A 3-year-old who can't yet count to 10 can still tell which row of cookies has more.

2. Count each one

Count group A: "1, 2, 3, 4." Count group B: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6." Six is more than four. Therefore B has more.

This is the more advanced strategy because it requires the cardinal principle (the last number you say is the total) AND the knowledge that 6 comes after 4 when counting.

Try it together

Get two small piles of objects (between 3 and 8 each). Ask:

• Which one has more?
• How can you tell?
• Can you make them the same?

That last question is sneaky-good. To make them the same, the child has to either remove from the bigger pile or add to the smaller pile — which is the seed of subtraction and addition.

Watch for

• Confusing "more" with "bigger": A child might say a pile of 3 large blocks has "more" than 5 small ones because the blocks are bigger. Gently steer back: "Yes, those blocks are bigger. But which pile has more blocks?"
• Spreading out: A row of 5 spread out can look like more than a row of 5 packed close together. This is one of the most famous developmental phenomena (Piaget studied it). Show that they're the same by counting both.

Where this is going

Comparing leads directly to the equals sign and to inequalities. A child who deeply understands "more" and "same" will absorb the meaning of =, >, and < later without effort.