🔢 Maths

More and Fewer

Ages 3–5

You will learn

Compare two small groups and say which has more, which has fewer, or if they are the same.

Before you start

Counting objects up to 10.

Quick answer

To compare two groups, count each one. The group with the bigger number has more. The group with the smaller number has fewer. If the numbers match, the groups are the same.

Let’s learn

We can compare two groups to see which one is bigger.

  • More means a bigger number.
  • Fewer means a smaller number.
  • The same means both groups have the same number.

Example

🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪   and   🍪🍪

Count them: 5 and 2. The first group has more cookies. The second group has fewer cookies.

A matching trick

Put the things in two rows, one opposite another.

🚗🚗🚗🚗 🚌🚌

The cars have some left over with no bus opposite. So there are more cars.

Try it

Hold up 3 fingers on one hand and 1 finger on the other. Which hand has more?

Check what you know

Choose an answer, then press Check. You can try again if you need to.

  1. 1 Which group has more dogs?
  2. 2 Which group has fewer apples?
  3. 3 Which number is more: 2 or 5?
  4. 4 Which number is less: 7 or 3?
  5. 5 Mia has 🎈🎈🎈🎈. Ben has 🎈🎈🎈🎈. Who has more balloons?
  6. 6 What is one more than 4?

Try this next

Make two piles of toys. Ask a grown-up which pile has more. Count to check!