Comparing numbers looks easy to adults, but it has some surprising tripwires for six-year-olds. Most curricula expect a first-grader to confidently compare any two numbers up to 20 and use the symbols < , > and =.
What confuses children
Sign direction. Many children swap > and <. The hungry-crocodile picture (the wide mouth always opens toward the bigger number) sticks well, much better than verbal rules.
Numbers between 10 and 20. Some kids look only at the second digit. They claim 14 < 9 because "4 is less than 9". Show them the number line — 14 is clearly to the right of 9.
Equality. When the numbers match, kids sometimes still want to put < or > because they expect a "winner". Practice a few = examples on purpose.
Things you can do at home
Stack two piles of small objects (Lego, cereal, coins). Ask "which pile has more?" then write the comparison together.
Roll two dice. Each player shouts the bigger number.
Use the numbers from a calendar — "Is your birthday before or after mine?" That is comparing too.
Do a few problems each day. Five minutes is plenty.
Words you can use
It helps if the child hears the same words at home and at school. Try to use:
These match the symbols nicely and avoid awkward translations later.
Ready for more
When comparing within 20 feels routine, the next steps are ordering several numbers in a row and comparing within 100 (a 2nd-grade topic). For now, keep things playful — math at six is much more about confidence than speed.
