[Carole]

I realize that this thread is a few years old. As I kindergarten teacher, I am familiar with the “alligator” eating the larger number, and I’ve never thought that was a good way to teach the “less than” and “greater than” signs. The students don’t know what the sign really means. I remember how I learned the signs, way back in the 60’s (during the “New Math” era!), and that’s what I teach my students: Picture each sign as an arrow. Now, picture a number line or number path. The numbers to the right on a number line become bigger or “greater”, and that’s what “>” means. Back to the number line: the numbers to the left are smaller, or become less, and that’s what “<” means. The “Alligator” lesson only works when you are comparing two numbers. In fact, I just taught the arrow pointing down a number line to a substitute teacher the other day who said she can never remember which is which. She must have been taught the “alligator” way. Ha!

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