Abstract:

In a preschool establishment, the comparison activities can take place in different ways. Manipulating objects is the most suitable one; graphic adaptation, kinesis and verbal expression can also be applied. The selection criteria for the best comparison process depend on the nature of compared subjects, on the context in which the comparison takes place, and on solver’s skills and experience. Diverse types of comparison are typically included in preschool children’s activities. The most common types are natural comparison, basic comparison, reduced comparison, and comparison through difference.

Multiple preschool establishments in Czechia participated at an experiment with the aim to assess children’s ability to solve diverse types of comparison-related problems. Children in the age of 5-6 years were included in this experiment. 12 tasks were created with focus on natural, basic, reduced and super-reduced comparison, and comparison through difference. Children compared length, weight, amount or count and employed manipulation, graphic adaptation and verbal expression. The experimental analysis showed that 90 % of children were successful at natural comparison, 75 % at basic comparison of length. 80 % of children successfully completed reduced comparison of weight while 100 % were successful at super-reduced comparison of length. 40 % of respondents successfully dealt with comparison through difference. It was therefore concluded that more children’s activities with focus on comparison through difference should be introduced in preschool curricula.

Keywords:

Comparison, preschool children, manipulation.