Comparing Numbers Throughout the Day

Comparing numbers in whole group math, small group math, math journals, and math stations…feeling overwhelmed?  Hopefully, this post will help you see how I fit it all in.  You can view a daily schedule HERE.

Let’s start with the different components.  

Whole Group Math

(SIDENOTE:  I have been asked about my spiral binding machine.  You can see it HERE (Affiliate link).

Whole group math is the time of day when, well…, I teach math to the whole group.  We start with the mini-lesson, then students work with partners on a concept.

We work on comparing numbers spirally in the year.  We want to introduce the concept early and work with comparing a small number of objects.  By using the cubes, we keep this concept concrete.

Then later in the year, we work with larger objects.  Now students are able to work more with pictorial comparisons.

We love hands-on learning opportunities.  We also love to combine skills such as the one above (addition and comparing).

You can read more about our math workshop in THIS blog post.

In addition to the lessons, we have added a few extra resource suggestions, such as videos and literature!

Here is a fun video that goes along with comparing.

And you can find a literature connection with More or Less by Stuart J. Murphy.

You can review our Whole Group Math Unit HERE.  We are so thrilled that so many school districts have adopted our curriculum.

Small Group Math 

Not all students step up to the same skills at the same time.  Some students are right on target, some students need a bit more instruction, and still, others are ready to go beyond the lesson.  So how to you make that happen?  Just like in reading instruction, it happens during small group.

First, you want to assess where the students are.  Some of these assessments are done through observation… simple.  You may also want to run a quick Pre-Assessment.

ESGI is also a great assessment tool.  You can read more about ESGI by clicking HERE.

Now you know where students are academically and what needs they have, you are ready to form your small math groups.  I have made a planning sheet for you.  You can download it at the end of this blog post for FREE (happy dance).

Let’s say this is your small group schedule for the week.   Group 1 might be working on comparing objects to 5. Group 2 might be working on counting objects to 10. Group 3 might be working on a completely different skill.  That is the beauty of small group.  You can give the students what they need WHEN they need it.  Learn how to print on Post-It Notes by reading Abby’s post HERE.

These are fun hands-on activities as well, but they are done with the teacher’s close observation and support.

By keeping notes during the small group time, it allows you to adjust your groups whenever you need to.

You can see our Small Group Math unit by clicking HERE.

Comparing Numbers with Math Journals

This is a whole group lesson.  You can read more on how I run our whole group math journal time by clicking HERE.

You can see these prompts by clicking HERE.

Math Centers and Stations

I need to have time to pull small groups.  Right?  So I have a math center time in addition to my literacy center time.

Naturally, we reinforce comparing objects and numerals during our center time, plus a variety of other skills.  I try to keep skills spirally reviewed so the skills are constantly being over-learned.  I also need to keep the skills PREDICTABLE because I can’t spend time “teaching the center,” because I am working with my small group.  HERE is a blog post on supporting independence during center time.

We have created math journals, extra practice pages, and centers that align with our math curriculum.  You can see those by clicking HERE.

I hope this gave you some management and resource ideas!

FREE File

You can grab your small group planning pages by filling out the box below.  If you want to know more about small group reading/guided reading you can read THIS post.