Recognizing not enough and too many to 10

General

Students learn to compare quantities up to 10 and know when there is too much or not enough.

Common core standard(s)

K.CC.C.6
K.CC.C.7

Relevance

Explain to students why it is important to know which amount is more or less. For example, by knowing this, you know if you have enough presents to hand out to everyone or if you have too many or not enough.

Introduction

In the front of the classroom prepare the table with objects, pencils, books, erasers. Ask how many pencils there are, and ask a student to come up to the front to count the pencils. Repeat this with the books and erasers. To check that students understand, use the image on the interactive whiteboard of the farm and the possible answers. Ask how many cows are on the farm.

Development

Explain that when you want to know if you have enough of something, you have to count both quantities. Then you compare these two amounts. Explain the terms 'not enough' and 'too many.' If there is not enough, the number of objects you want to share, for example, is smaller than the number of people you want to share with. There are not enough objects to share. If you have too much, the number of objects you want to share for example is bigger than the number of people you want to share with. You have objects left over. Clarify further with the examples on the interactive whiteboard. As a class, count the slices of cake out loud, and the number of children. There are more children than slices of cake, so there is not enough cake. Next count the party hats and the children. There are fewer children than party hats, so there is one party hat too many.

Check that students can recognize too much/not enough in amounts to 10 by asking the following questions:
- How do you know if there are enough?
- What does 'too much' mean?
- What does 'not enough' mean?

Guided Practice

Students practice on the worksheet. They are first asked to compare smaller amounts, and then the numbers increase.

Closing

Discuss with students the importance of being able to compare amounts and to know if you have too much or not enough. Check that students know that they must first count both amounts and then compare the two with each other. To check that students have understood, ask a few students to come to the front of the class and give them a few pencils. Ask the class if there are enough pencils for the students at the front of the class. Repeat this with other classroom objects like notebooks and chairs.

Teaching Tip

Students who have trouble recognizing not enough/too many can draw a line between each object and child on the worksheet. They then have visual support for there being not enough or too many.