Instructional recommendations: Magnitude comparison

Instructional Recommendations: Magnitude Comparison

How to augment class level teaching to focus on the understanding of magnitude

In a nutshell: Magnitude comparison

Magnitude comparison is the ability to decide which number is more, less, or the same.

In the early years, children begin by comparing quantities of objects while they are developing number awareness. In Foundation, students compare and work with numbers to at least 20. In Year 1, students extend this work to numbers to 100, including comparing two-digit numerals using emerging place-value understanding. Across both year levels, students increasingly compare numerals directly, such as deciding whether 8 or 12, 34 or 43, or 76 or 79 is more.

The main instructional goal is for students to compare the value of numbers and numerals, not just collections of objects. Materials such as counters, fingers, ten-frames, number tracks, and base-10 blocks are useful, but they should be used to help children prove or explain a number comparison.

A strong instructional routine is:

Show two numerals → ask which number is more or less → have students say the comparison sentence → use a representation to prove how they know.

This guidance is designed to follow from ENSSA magnitude comparison testing when there is a class-wide need to improve the fluent comparison of number magnitude.

Guidance and resources

Use the resources below to augment class-level instruction to support magnitude comparison skills.

As the screener targets foundational skills, it is assumed most children will have acquired these skills and likely require extra opportunities to practice and extend them. The vocabulary and stem sentence guide can be used during lessons to support student explanations, while the review and practice guide supports fluency, retention, and transfer.

If you notice children lack accuracy in the skill, they likely require explicit teaching (see ‘explicit instruction routines’).

Teaching Guidance and Background

Explains why the skill matters, how it develops, and what to prioritise in Foundation and Year 1 instruction.

Click here for the teaching guidance and background.

Vocabulary and Stem Sentences

Provides key mathematical language, child-friendly definitions, and sentence stems to support accurate student explanations.

Click here for the vocabulary and stem sentence guide

Explicit Instruction Routines

Provides scaffolded gradual release episodes for students who need explicit modelling, guided practice, and correction while acquiring the skill.

Click here for the explicit instruction routines.

Review and Practice

Provides the core practice routine, representation guidance, daily review, cumulative review, independent practice, and progress-monitoring ideas.

Click here for review and practice activities.

Implementation Summary

Summarises the instructional goal, key teaching moves, and recommended practice structure for quick reference.

Click here for the implementation summary.

Resources

Coming soon!