Maths · Size, Position & Time
Big / small, long / short
Compare sizes and lengths.
What does size mean?
Size tells us how big or small something is. A bus is big. A toy car is small. We can look and compare!
What does length mean?
Length tells us how long or short something is. A snake can be long. A worm is short. We compare by looking carefully.
How do we compare?
Put two things next to each other. Which one is bigger? Which one is longer? Use your eyes to see the difference!
Words we use
Big, small, long, short, bigger, smaller, longest, shortest. These words help us talk about size and length.
Worked examples
1. Which is longer: a pencil or a crayon?
- Look at the pencil.
- Look at the crayon.
- The pencil reaches further along.
- The pencil is longer!
2. Which is bigger: an elephant or a mouse?
- Think about an elephant. It is very big!
- Think about a mouse. It is very small.
- The elephant is much bigger than the mouse.
3. Which is shortest: a train, a bike, or a scooter?
- A train is very long.
- A bike is shorter than a train.
- A scooter is shorter than a bike.
- The scooter is shortest!
Try it yourself
Which is smaller: a cup or a spoon?
Ready to test yourself?
Take a short topic test — every question maps to a syllabus point so you’ll see exactly which parts you’ve mastered.