Reception Maths Comparing quantities: check-up and practice test questions

Key words. More means a bigger number. Fewer means a smaller number.

Method. Count each group. Then see which one has more.

1. Count group a. Touch each one once.
   Group a: 6
2. Count group b. Touch each one once.
   Group b: 3
3. Compare the two numbers. The bigger number is the group with more.
   6 and 3
4. Write the answer.
   Group a

Check. Match one to one: the group with things left over has more. ✓

Watch out. Count each group. Do not guess from how spread out the things are.

Key words. More means a bigger number. Fewer means a smaller number.

Method. Count each group. Then see which one has fewer.

1. Count group a. Touch each one once.
   Group a: 4
2. Count group b. Touch each one once.
   Group b: 9
3. Compare the two numbers. The smaller number is the group with fewer.
   9 and 4
4. Write the answer.
   Group a

Check. Match one to one: the group with things left over has more. ✓

Watch out. Count each group. Do not guess from how spread out the things are.

Method. Count each row. Then see if the numbers are the same.

1. Count row a. Touch each one once.
   5
2. Count row b. Touch each one once.
   5
3. Compare the two numbers. The same number means the same amount.
   5 and 5
4. Write the answer.
   Yes

Check. Match one to one. Every thing has a partner. ✓

Watch out. Two rows can look different and still have the same number.

Key words. Greater than means bigger. Less than means smaller.

Method. Put the numbers on the number track. The number further along is greater.

1. Find both numbers on the track. Put a finger on each one.
   15 and 11
2. Look at which one comes later. The number that comes later when we count is greater.
   15 comes later
3. Write the answer.
   15

Check. Count on from 11 to 15. The larger number is reached last. ✓

Watch out. Greater means bigger. Less means smaller.

Key words. Less than means smaller.

Method. Put the numbers on the number track. The number further back is less.

1. Find both numbers on the track. Put a finger on each one.
   18 and 13
2. Look at which one comes first. The number that comes first when we count is less.
   13 comes first
3. Write the answer.
   13

Check. Count on from 13 to 18. The smaller number is the start. ✓

Watch out. The smaller number is the one closer to zero.

Key words. One more means the next number.

Method. One more is the next number. Add one to 16.

1. Start with 16. Count the things in the first group.
   16
2. Add one more. Count on one from the first number.
   16 + 1 = 17
3. Write the answer.
   17

Check. Count back one: 17 − 1 = 16. ✓

Watch out. One more is the next number, not the number after that.

Key words. One less means the number just before.

Method. One less is the number just before. Take one from 10.

1. Start with 10. Count the things in the group.
   10
2. Take one away. One less is one fewer.
   10 − 1 = 9
3. Write the answer.
   9

Check. Add one back: 9 + 1 = 10. ✓

Watch out. Take one away, and check that the number went down by one.

Method. The number between 4 and 6 is in the middle.

1. Find 4 and 6 on the track. Put a finger on each.
   4 ... 6
2. Count on one from 4. The middle number is one more than the first.
   4 + 1 = 5
3. Write the answer.
   5

Check. Count on from 5 to 6: 5 + 1 = 6. ✓

Watch out. The number between is not one of the two numbers you started with.

Method. Count each group. Then find the biggest number.

1. Count each group. Touch each one once.
   Row a: 3, Row b: 5, Row c: 8
2. Find the biggest number. Compare all the numbers.
   8 is the biggest
3. Write the answer.
   Row c

Check. Check the others: they all have fewer than 8. ✓

Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.

Method. Think about pairs of things, one from each group.

1. Pair the things up. Each thing in one group gets a partner in the other.
   one to one
2. Look for leftovers. If nothing is left over, the groups are the same.
   no leftovers
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any answer that says each thing has a partner and nothing is left over.

Check. Matching one to one shows the groups are equal. ✓

Watch out. Both groups need every thing paired.

Key words. More means a bigger number. Fewer means a smaller number.

Method. Count each group. Then see which one has more.

1. Count group a. Touch each one once.
   Group a: 9
2. Count group b. Touch each one once.
   Group b: 6
3. Compare the two numbers. The bigger number is the group with more.
   9 and 6
4. Write the answer.
   Group a

Check. Match one to one: the group with things left over has more. ✓

Watch out. Count each group. Do not guess from how spread out the things are.

Method. Count each row. Then see if the numbers are the same.

1. Count row a. Touch each one once.
   4
2. Count row b. Touch each one once.
   6
3. Compare the two numbers. The same number means the same amount.
   4 and 6
4. Write the answer.
   No

Check. Match one to one. One row has things left over. ✓

Watch out. Two rows can look different and still have the same number.

Key words. Greater than means bigger. Less than means smaller.

Method. Put the numbers on the number track. The number further along is greater.

1. Find both numbers on the track. Put a finger on each one.
   9 and 14
2. Look at which one comes later. The number that comes later when we count is greater.
   14 comes later
3. Write the answer.
   14

Check. Count on from 9 to 14. The larger number is reached last. ✓

Watch out. Greater means bigger. Less means smaller.

Key words. More means a bigger number. Fewer means a smaller number.

Method. Count each group. Then see which one has fewer.

1. Count group a. Touch each one once.
   Group a: 8
2. Count group b. Touch each one once.
   Group b: 5
3. Compare the two numbers. The smaller number is the group with fewer.
   8 and 5
4. Write the answer.
   Group b

Check. Match one to one: the group with things left over has more. ✓

Watch out. Count each group. Do not guess from how spread out the things are.

Method. Count each group. Then find the smallest number.

1. Count each group. Touch each one once.
   Row a: 2, Row b: 6, Row c: 9
2. Find the smallest number. Compare all the numbers.
   2 is the smallest
3. Write the answer.
   Row a

Check. Check the others: they all have more than 2. ✓

Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.

Method. The number between 8 and 10 is in the middle.

1. Find 8 and 10 on the track. Put a finger on each.
   8 ... 10
2. Count on one from 8. The middle number is one more than the first.
   8 + 1 = 9
3. Write the answer.
   9

Check. Count on from 9 to 10: 9 + 1 = 10. ✓

Watch out. The number between is not one of the two numbers you started with.

Method. Look at where 9 and 12 are on the track.

1. Find 9 and 12. Put a finger on each.
   9 and 12
2. Look at which comes later. Twelve comes after nine when we count.
   9, 10, 11, 12
3. Compare them. Twelve is greater than nine.
   12 is greater
4. Write the answer.
   No. 12 is greater than 9, because 12 comes later when we count.

Check. Count on from 9 to 12. Twelve is greater. ✓

Watch out. The number that comes later is the greater one.

Method. Count each row, then compare the numbers.

1. Count row a and row b. Each has 4 things.
   a: 4, b: 4
2. Count row c. It has 7 cubes.
   c: 7
3. Compare the numbers. Seven is more than four.
   7 is more than 4
4. Write the answer.
   Row c has the most, because 7 is more than 4.

Check. Count row c: 1 to 7. ✓

Watch out. Compare all three rows, not just two.

Method. Start at 19 and move one step on.

1. Start at 19. Put your finger on 19.
   19
2. Move one step on. One more is the next number.
   19 + 1 = 20
3. Write the answer. Twenty is the next number after nineteen.
   20. One more than 19 is 20.

Check. Count back one from 20: 19. ✓

Watch out. One more is the next number, so it goes up.

Method. Count both sets, even if the patterns are different.

1. Count Ali’s set. Touch each one once.
   Ali: 6
2. Count Ben’s set. The pattern does not change the count.
   Ben: 6
3. Compare the numbers. Both sets have the same number.
   6 = 6
4. Write the answer.
   Accept any answer that counts each set, gets 6 each and says they are the same.

Check. Count each set again: 6 and 6. ✓

Watch out. A different pattern can still have the same number.