Alike and Different Worksheets
This is one of life lessons that will stick with students for years to come. Being about to label a group of objects as being alike or different is a huge step in math. It provides use with the ability to differentiate values, units, and tons of other measures. While it may be very basic at this point, it will lead to full on comparisons and analysis of all different types of data later on down the line. These worksheets and lessons help students learn to identify objects and numbers that are alike or unalike. We would encourage you to use these with your students after you have done a few hands on activities that worked on this concept with them.
Aligned Standard: K.MD.A.3
- Garbage Truck Step-by-Step Lesson- Garbage trucks and a plane. Which are the same? Did the plural give it away?
- Guided Worksheet -Find the items that is the same as the first.
- Guided Explanation - This was a monumental project to explain. I had no idea where to start with this one.
- Independent Practice Worksheet - Again, we focus on finding like objects.
- Matching Worksheet - Match like pictures in rows.
- Answer Keys - These are for all the unlocked materials above.
Lesson Sheets
Find the items that is the same as the first.
- Lesson 1 - Look at the pictures on the right side of the column. Circle the picture that is the same as the first picture.
Practice Worksheets
We start to build sorting, and compare and contrast skills.
- Practice 1 - Hippos and chickens.
- Practice 2 - Find the object that does not belong with the others, and mark it.
- Practice 3 - Circle the picture that is the same as the first picture.
- Practice 4 - In each row, mark the object that does not belong with the others.
- Practice 5 - What is different?
- Practice 6 - Which two belong together?
Teaching Preschoolers the Difference Between Same and Different
One the very primary attributes that childhood classrooms cover is sorting. Sorting is an essential skill that the little ones need to grasp before the math skills are developed and they move on to complex structures. When we sort something, we are focusing on specific characteristics of the things that we are sorting. Sometimes the things that we are trying to categorize are very similar and differ by one aspect or another. So, in a way these objects may be very alike and have a subtle difference between them. An example would be a used car lot. They are all automobiles, but some are cars, vans, SUVs, or trucks. They all have four wheels, but some are red, and others are blue or black.
In order to teach kids what same and different are, the first step is to teach them sorting. Even though these kids are quite small, they do have the ability to learn quicker. It is not necessary that you show them similarity between two things, you can start by storytelling! Try using socks, they always make up the best example possible. When you put these socks, they themselves learn how to create differences between the pairs of socks you put in front of them.
You can also use things that they are very familiar with like hair color of them and their classmates. You can also try using flashcards that will help them to identify what is different and what images are similar. Try using markers of same colors and then of different colors, it will also help you to use easily available materials.
Our core belief is that learning this in a hands-on way is by far the best. Giving them a bag of stuff. In that bag give them as many different doodads you can find. Tell them that you have 5 minutes to put everything that is "alike" together. Then go around and see where they are at, if the class has it do the same thing with the concept of "different". If they had difficulty with the "alike" concept review everyone’s sorts as a class and then repeat the activity.