Reception Maths: Most and fewest in three groups
Part of the Reception Maths comparing quantities chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Most and fewest in three groups
Three friends have some pencils. Ali has 4 pencils. Ben has 7 pencils. Cara has 2 pencils.
Ben has the most. Cara has the fewest. Count each group before you decide.
Key ideas
- The most is the biggest number of things.
- The fewest is the smallest number of things.
- Count every group, then compare them.
Method. Count each group. Then find the biggest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Ali: 4, Ben: 7, Cara: 2
- Find the biggest number. Compare all the numbers.7 is the biggest
- Write the answer. Ben
Check. Check the others: they all have fewer than 7. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the smallest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Ali: 4, Ben: 7, Cara: 2
- Find the smallest number. Compare all the numbers.2 is the smallest
- Write the answer. Cara
Check. Check the others: they all have more than 2. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the biggest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Row a: 6, Row b: 3, Row c: 9
- Find the biggest number. Compare all the numbers.9 is the biggest
- Write the answer. Row c
Check. Check the others: they all have fewer than 9. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Watch out
Watch out: check all three groups, not just two. The fewest may be the one that looks smallest in a picture.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Put three small groups of toys in a row. Ask: “Which group has the most? Which has the fewest?” Count each one to check.
Exercise 3E Most and fewest
Non-calculatorMethod. Count each group. Then find the biggest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Row a: 4, Row b: 7, Row c: 2
- Find the biggest number. Compare all the numbers.7 is the biggest
- Write the answer. Row b
Check. Check the others: they all have fewer than 7. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the smallest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Row a: 4, Row b: 7, Row c: 2
- Find the smallest number. Compare all the numbers.2 is the smallest
- Write the answer. Row c
Check. Check the others: they all have more than 2. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the biggest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Row a: 5, Row b: 1, Row c: 8
- Find the biggest number. Compare all the numbers.8 is the biggest
- 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. Count each group. Then find the smallest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Row a: 5, Row b: 1, Row c: 8
- Find the smallest number. Compare all the numbers.1 is the smallest
- Write the answer. Row b
Check. Check the others: they all have more than 1. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the biggest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Row a: 3, Row b: 10, Row c: 6
- Find the biggest number. Compare all the numbers.10 is the biggest
- Write the answer. Row b
Check. Check the others: they all have fewer than 10. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the smallest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Row a: 9, Row b: 4, Row c: 6
- Find the smallest number. Compare all the numbers.4 is the smallest
- Write the answer. Row b
Check. Check the others: they all have more than 4. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the biggest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Ali: 3, Ben: 5, Cara: 1
- Find the biggest number. Compare all the numbers.5 is the biggest
- Write the answer. Ben
Check. Check the others: they all have fewer than 5. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the smallest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Ali: 3, Ben: 5, Cara: 1
- Find the smallest number. Compare all the numbers.1 is the smallest
- Write the answer. Cara
Check. Check the others: they all have more than 1. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the biggest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Row a: 2, Row b: 7, Row c: 4
- Find the biggest number. Compare all the numbers.7 is the biggest
- Write the answer. Row b
Check. Check the others: they all have fewer than 7. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess from the picture. Count every group.
Method. Count each group. Then find the smallest number.
- Count each group. Touch each one once.Row a: 2, Row b: 7, Row c: 4
- Find the smallest number. Compare all the numbers.2 is the smallest
- 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. Count the three rows and see which has the fewest.
- Count each row. Touch each one once.a: 6, b: 6, c: 1
- Find the fewest. One is the smallest number.c has 1
- Write the answer. Rows a and b have the most, not the fewest.No. Row a and row b have 6 each, but row c has the fewest. Row a and row b are not the fewest.
Check. Count row c: 1 thing. That is the fewest. ✓
Watch out. The most and the fewest can be different groups.
Method. Count each group first. Then compare the numbers.
- Count every group. Touch each one once.three counts
- Compare the three numbers. The biggest number is the most.biggest = most
- Write the answer. Accept any answer: count every group, then pick the group with the biggest number.
Check. Count each group, then compare the numbers. ✓
Watch out. Count every group, not just two of them.