![]() I really liked it in comparison to the Hungry Aligator Method (see below) because it cut down on the time my students wasted drawing all of the teeth! HA! Instead, they would simply draw the dots until they no longer needed that extra scaffolding. I learned the dot method from a colleague a number of years ago. To put it simply, the two dots face the greater number, and the one dot faces the smaller number because two is greater than one. Similar to the alligators, The dot method is another “trick” to help students remember which direction the greater than and less than signs go. If we don’t find a way to help students READ the symbols as “54 is greater than 32,” we haven’t actually taught them the symbol… only the direction to place it to score the answer right on paper. The alligators simply teach which way the symbol goes. The problem that many upper-grade teachers report is that unlike “L is for Less Than,” the alligators fail to help students connect the language of comparison to the symbols. The content is understanding quantity and how to compare numbers This is just remembering which symbol to use to describe that understanding. The alligators (and the symbols they are helping to illustrate) are not the core content. I am including this popular visual because it is a widely used convention when teaching greater than and less than signs, and it deserves discussion.Īgain, I don’t necessarily have a problem with using little visual support to help students make connections with these symbols. Without having that firm understanding first, this would just be another quick trick to get the answer right without ever understanding the actual content (which we want to avoid). Important Note: This works for me because I have a solid understanding of comparing quantities, and this simply helps me remember the symbol that I can use to communicate that understanding. The left hand will make an L like “less than,” and that’s how we could remember how to “read” the symbols.Īs a dyslexic student, it confused me (because I often reverse my L’s), but as an adult, I still look to my hands at times to remember how to read the language of “less than” aloud. We were told to make an L with both hands. This one was used when I was growing up to help us connect the greater than and less than signs to the language. This visual checks all of the boxes for me: The visual itself is connected to the concept of quantity AND it also helps students connect the language “greater than” and “less than” to the greater than and less than signs. Similarly, we can see the connection between the number that is less on the left and the less than sign. When we think about the embedded greater than and less than signs in the number line, we can see the connection between the greater number on the right and the greater than sign. While increments and range may vary on number lines, one thing that remains the same is that the greater number is always on the right, and the smaller number is always on the left. First, I love that it encourages students to think about comparing numbers on a number line. Have you ever noticed that the greater than and less than signs are embedded in number lines? This can be a powerful visual for several reasons. Are we teaching the symbols in connection to the language, or just ensuring that they face the proper direction?.Are we assessing the understanding of comparing quantity, or the proper usage of symbols?.Is the focus of teaching more on the symbol or the comparison?.As we go through them, I want us to really consider the following questions: Today I am going to share five visuals that are often used to teach the greater than and less than signs to young students. (I shared a lot more about this in my post on comparing numbers!) If we’re only teaching students which way the symbols go, then we’re doing our students a big disservice. ![]() The biggest issue is that too often the focus is on the greater than and less than signs themselves, and not the understanding of comparisons. And even stronger opinions when we start talking about greater than and less than signs. There are some very strong opinions when it comes to how to teach greater than, less than, and equal.
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