Preschool - Math

Preschool Big and Small, Long and Short Worksheet

6 printable versions - Challenge Me - About 5 minutes each

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Big and Small, Long and Short

Preschool - Math - Challenge Me

Worksheet 1

  1. Which shape is the middle size?

    Read aloud: Put the three shapes in order from smallest to biggest. Which one is in the middle?

    3 tiles in a row.A left-to-right row of 3 tiles drawn as circle and square and triangle shapes. They differ in what they look like; the question asks which ones belong together.

  2. Which row is in the middle?

    Read aloud: Put the rows of leaves in order from shortest to longest. Which number is the middle row?

    Three numbered rows of leaves, each with a different length.3 rows use same-size leaves. Each row has a visible count for comparing results.1leafleafleafleafleafleafleaf2leafleafleaf3leafleafleafleafleaf

  3. Which shape is the middle size?

    Read aloud: Put the three shapes in order from smallest to biggest. Which one is in the middle?

    3 tiles in a row.A left-to-right row of 3 tiles drawn as circle and square and triangle shapes. They differ in what they look like; the question asks which ones belong together.

  4. Which row is in the middle?

    Read aloud: Put the rows of blocks in order from shortest to longest. Which number is the middle row?

    Three numbered rows of blocks, each with a different length.3 rows use same-size blocks. Each row has a visible count for comparing results.1blockblockblock2blockblockblockblockblockblockblockblock3blockblockblockblockblock

  5. Which shape is the middle size?

    Read aloud: Put the three shapes in order from smallest to biggest. Which one is in the middle?

    3 tiles in a row.A left-to-right row of 3 tiles drawn as triangle and circle and square shapes. They differ in what they look like; the question asks which ones belong together.

  6. Which row is in the middle?

    Read aloud: Put the rows of pencils in order from shortest to longest. Which number is the middle row?

    Three numbered rows of pencils, each with a different length.3 rows use same-size pencils. Each row has a visible count for comparing results.1pencilpencilpencilpencilpencil2pencilpencilpencil3pencilpencilpencilpencilpencilpencilpencilpencil
PencilGopencilgo.ai

About this worksheet

Big and small describe how much space a whole object takes up. Long and short describe distance from one end to the other. Preschoolers mix the two, partly because a long thing often looks big, and partly because they are asked to judge one object on its own. No object is big by itself. It is big compared with something, which is why every question here shows three things at once: three shapes drawn at three sizes, or three rows of same-size pictures drawn at three lengths. Ready sheets ask for the biggest and the longest, the ends children notice first. Practice sheets ask for the smallest and the shortest, which is the same comparison run the other way and is genuinely harder. Stretch sheets ask for the one in the middle, which cannot be answered by finding an extreme at all: the child has to put all three in order. Ask for a full sentence, because the comparison lives in the sentence: this one is the longest of the three.

What your child will learn

  • Compare three objects and find the biggest
  • Find the smallest and the shortest, not just the biggest
  • Put three lengths in order to find the middle one
  • Use size words as comparisons rather than labels

Worked example

Three rows of pictures sit side by side. Two rows keep going and one row stops early, so the row that stops early is the shortest.

Common mistake

Calling one object big without comparing it with the others on the page.

Helpful hint

Look at all three before you mark one.

Over, Under, and Beside

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with big and small, long and short?
Calling one object big without comparing it with the others on the page.
How can I help my child with big and small, long and short?
Look at all three before you mark one.
Are these preschool math worksheets free to print?
Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.