Big and Small Worksheets
This is a concept that many students feel that they have mastered, but they will normally have trouble making this comparison when the object or things that they are comparing are not directly next to one another. In order to get them comfortable with comparing big and small indirectly, encourage students to identify a standard of size. This means to have them relate everything they are comparing to something that is a standard and example would be understanding if something was the size of a ping pong, golf, baseball, softball, or basketball. Students can use their own standards, as long as they keep it mentally consistent. These worksheets and lessons will help students learn how to classify the general size of an object.
Aligned Standard: K.MD.A.2
- Turtles and Camels Step-by-Step Lesson- Which of the two animals are shorter? There is also a rat in the mix.
- Guided Lesson - In each instance find the bigger, longer, or shorter picture.
- Guided Lesson Explanation - The best way to explain this is to introduce the use of line lengths. The longer the line the more true something is.
- Practice Worksheet - This one is stretched over 4 pages. I like to give this to students over several days to make sure they mastered the skill.
- Matching Worksheet - Lots of letters in this one. Just match the letters that do what is described.
- Underline the Largest Shape Worksheet - Find the largest and smallest shape in each row.
- Big Blurs of Color Worksheet - Throw up some boxes around the larger shapes.
- Color Me Big Worksheet - I packed twenty-five problems into this one.
- Answer Keys - These are for all the unlocked materials above.
- Mark the "Big Dog" Lesson- Who is the big dog in this set?
- Big and Small Worksheet - Circle the smallest thing in each box.
- Find Big and Small Worksheet- Find the ball that is larger and smaller pitcher for your water.
- Circle the Smaller Object Lesson - Butterflies we meet once again!
- Big and Small Step by Step Lesson- I find the legend/key to be very helpful for this skill.
- Mark the Smaller One Lesson- Which goat is the smallest?
- Longer and Smaller Worksheet- Longer is a difficult concept when it is being measured horizontally.
- Smaller, Longer Worksheet 2- The first one is obvious, but the second one loses some students.
- Big and Small Space Picture Lesson- This is as basic as it gets.
How to Teach Students the Difference Between Big and Small
Teaching the difference in size generally starts when you start teaching kids opposites and the basic mathematical concepts. Helping students to understand this contrast and difference will ultimately help them learn how to sort things or stack them based on like and different traits. Teaching sizes may come as a challenge, but there are fun ways that you can incorporate to make learning easier and fun. Here are some fun ways that will help you in teaching the difference between big and small:
Hands-on - Visuals and hands-on practice are the best way to teach almost everything to children at this age, most ages really. The same goes for teaching the difference between big and small. Collect a few objects of varying sizes and demonstrate the comparison between them. Start with one object of different sizes. For example, blocks of different sizes. Then have a big and small off as a class. This is where you will hold up an object and have students classify it chorally.
Picture Books - Books play a vital part in teaching any concept. Many books explain the concept of big and small. I would focus my attention on works that speak to your students’ interests. These books represent the concept in a visually appealing and the simplest way, with fun examples. You can also come up with different activity ideas. To reinforce the concept, you can make your own book. Ask your children to draw different objects representing the concepts of big and small.
Make a Collage - I like to have students create their own collage of things that they feel are big and small. Just have them divide the paper in half and they can run off. They can use any source that they have access to. You will need some construction paper, scissors, and glue for this one. I would also encourage you to have them label what each thing is. This serves as a good language activity for them.
Daily Life - Try using the concept of big and small in daily life with students. Use it in your daily conversations and show the examples present in your class. The more they observe, the better they learn. If you walk them to lunch, as them to observe what in the meal of the day match these criteria.