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Big and Small Worksheets

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Circle the big one and the small one, tall and short, long and short, sort big and small animals, and match bears to bowls.

Download the big and small worksheets

Big and small

Circle the big one, then the smallest of three.

Tall, short and long

Compare height and length.

Sort and match by size

Sort big and small animals and match each bear to the right bowl.

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these big and small worksheets

Comparing size is one of the first ways preschoolers measure. Is it big or small? Tall or short? Long or short? These big and small worksheets give children the words for size and lots of practice comparing two or three things.

On the first pages, children circle the big one, then the smallest of three. The tall and short page compares towers, flowers, giraffes and trees standing on the same line, and the long and short page compares pencils and crayons. Big and small animals is a sort about real size: an elephant is big and an ant is small, even when the pictures are the same size.

Bears and bowls matches a big, a middle and a small bear to the bowl that fits. Every page has an answer key on page 2.

Standards

  • ELOF P-MATH 8Child measures objects by their various attributes using standard and non-standard measurement. Uses differences in attributes to make comparisons.
  • ELOF P-LC 6Child understands and uses a wide variety of words for a variety of purposes.

How to use them

  1. Compare real things first: big and small balls, tall and short towers, long and short ribbons.
  2. Use the words big, small, tall, short and long often during play and clean-up.
  3. On the tall and short page, point out that both things start on the same line.
  4. Use the cut and paste animal sort when scissors are out, and the draw a line sort when they are not.
  5. Read the bears and bowls page like the story of the three bears.

Teaching tips

  • Tall and short are about up and down. Long and short are about side to side.
  • When comparing length, line things up at one end, just like the pencils on the page.
  • The animal sort is about how big the real animal is. Ask, "Could it fit in your hand?"
  • Add the word medium for the middle size once big and small are easy.

Questions teachers and parents ask

What size words should preschoolers learn?

Big and small first, then tall and short, long and short, and the middle size, medium. These words are the start of measuring.

How do I teach big and small?

Compare two real things that are the same except for size, like two balls. Ask which is big and which is small, then try pictures.

Do these big and small worksheets have answer keys?

Yes. Every page has an answer key on page 2.