Compare Two Objects Worksheets
You would think that this is not a difficult skill at all for children to grasp, but in some circumstances, students struggle with the concept of spotting visual difference. We want to always start them off working with things they can touch and see. Once they have a good flow going, we can transition to using number lines and then just numbers themselves. These worksheets show preschool students how to begin to compare two objects.
Aligned Standard: K.CC.C.6
- Who Has More: Step-by-Step Lesson - We start out with baby steps. You can also ask them to count totals.
- Guided Worksheet - We introduce some new vocabulary words including: "least" and "largest".
- Guided Explanation - It really helps if you get students in the habit of numbering the groups before even reading the question.
- Independent Practice Worksheet - We have you compare 2 items in a set, as well as 3 items in a set.
- Matching Worksheet - This is more about following directions than anything else.
- Answer Keys - These are for all the unlocked materials above.
Lesson Sheets
In these lessons, we look for fewer, more, and just the right number of items.
- Lesson 1 - Count the number of objects in the left-hand column. There are 3 eagles. Count the number of objects in right-hand column.
- Lesson 2 - Count the number of birds.
- Lesson 3 - There are two groups of hens. Circle the group that has the least hens.
- Guided Lesson 1 - Count the number of tortoises in each group.
- Guided Lesson 2 - We are looking for the largest group. The largest group is on the left. It has 4 rabbits.
Practice Worksheets
Start by comparing just sets of 2. Then, move on to comparing sets of 3.
- Practice 1 - Circle the group that has fewer objects.
- Practice 2 - Pandas vs. Teddy Bears.
- Practice 3 - Ants, Ginger Bread Men, and pizza slices.
- Practice 4 - Underline the group that has the most objects in the row.
Teaching Students How to Compare Objects
There are numerous objects in the world. Some might look the same but if you take a look at them closely, you will realize that they are not as similar as they may seem from a distance. Students when learning about mathematics will find themselves many times at a stage where they'd have to compare two or more objects. They will be required to do a direct comparison. There are a number of steps that we would encourage you to help your students learn when they are comparing two things.
State the Qualities of Each Object - Bring the objects together physically and analyze them carefully. Identify each one's height, volume, weight, etc. Compare two objects on the basis of the attributes or traits they have such as; more or less length, distance, height, capacity, and depth. It starts with making a list of all of the features that each object has. Usually there will be at least two or three things that you can say about those objects. These features may be similar or completely different. This may be something that the object does, that you cannot observe when it is not in use. You can list those qualities as well. For example; you can compare the heights of two children, the distance of two measured with a tape measure or the where the water hits them at a point in swimming pools. This way students will have an idea about different shapes existing in the world and will develop an understanding about the shapes having different heights, lengths and volumes.
Look for Inequality - Start students working with simple visual comparisons. Help students learn to find things that a different in these images. Height and colors are always a good starting point. You can then transition to comparing values in the form of shapes or number lines. We just want students to notice a difference.
Sort Features That Call on the Same Qualities - This is where the comparison comes in. You will need to look at things that call on the same characteristics of each object. For example, if we were comparing two plants, such as the farmer is, the color is the same, but the heights and number of leaves are points that they may differ by. I would write a sentence of how each differs by that characteristic.