What does this objective mean?
Children should be able to use the greater than (>), smaller than (<) or equals (=) sign to compare measurements How might it be assessed in the 7+? Children may be asked to add a >,<,or = sign to a number sentence. For example:
Make the following statement true:
23cm _____ 19cm
How do I teach this to my child?
A common method for teaching this is to imagine the < and > signs as the jaws of a crocodile. Because he is hungry, ‘the crocodile always eats the bigger number’. So
23cm > 19cm – the crocodile is eating 23cm, because it is bigger.
How can we practice this?
Idea: practical activity
Using kitchen scales, ask your child to measure two items and write a sentence to compare their mass. For example:
Bag of rice > Bag of sweets
500g 100g
You can do the same with length and capacity. Include examples where a larger unit is used (e.g. 800g < 1kg) to ensure your child understands the value of different units.
