Comparing and Contrasting

The terms comparing and contrasting can be defined as “the ability to define the likenesses and differences between objects, people, or situations”.

Every day young children compare and contrast. They begin to compare and contrast at a very early age. How many times have you heard, “She has more juice than I do!” or “His cookie is bigger than mine!”. As children are comparing and contrasting things in their world, they are thinking. Cognitively, they are figuring out how things are the same and how they are different.

These two abilities are important for a number of reasons:

First, it develops problem –solving skills. Again, as children are comparing and contrasting, they are processing information.

Second, comparing and contrasting is a very important prerequisite for color, shape, number and letter recognition. In order to name colors, shapes…. Children must be able to discriminate between them.

Finally, comparing and contrasting are skills that children will use throughout their lives. As adults we are always comparing how things are alike and how they are different. For instance, comparing two shirts in the department store or maybe two cuts of meat at the grocery store. Every day we are comparing and contrasting things and situations.

Activitiy 1: Simple Experiments

Simple experiments are a great way to promote comparing and contrasting. For instance, purchase two small potted plants. Place both plants in a sunny window. Water one of the plants as needed. Do not water the other plant at all. After a few days, encourage the children to describe how the plants are alike and how they are different.

Activity 2: Explore playdough

Provide playdough with cylinder blocks for the children to explore. Invite the children to try various movements with the playdough such as patting, rolling, poking, smashing, and molding.

• How does the playdough feel? Smell? Look?

• Does it look different after it’s been rolled? Patted?

• How can you make the playdough flat? Can you think of another way?

• How can you make holes in the dough? What’s another way to do it?

• I see the hole you made. How can you make the hole bigger? What will fit in the hole?

Activity 3: Investigating our skin

Invite the children to investigate their skin with unbreakable magnifiers.

Discussion prompts include:

• What do you see?

• What is at the end of your fingers? What colors do you see?

• Is each finger exactly the same? What is the same? Different?

• I see some freckles on my arm. What do you see on your arm?

You can do the same activity comparing plants.

2005 HighReach Learning, Inc.