Comparing Stories: How Many More and How Many Fewer

Think about where you have seen this before. Comparing is how we notice differences fairly. It tells us who needs more and who has extra to share. This is worth learning because comparing fairly is how you check whether a share is even.

Watch for it today, and when you spot it, tell someone what you noticed and how you knew. Ask yourself where else the same idea might be hiding, then go and look. Take a deep breath and look at this. Comparing stories line up two amounts side by side. Jonah has nine shells and Ruth has six.

How many more does Jonah have? Line them up in two rows, match them one to one, and count the extras: three. You can also subtract, nine take away six equals three. How many more and how many fewer are asking the same question from two directions, and both answers are the same number. Here is a mistake worth avoiding.

Comparing is not adding, even though two numbers are sitting there. If Jonah has nine and Ruth has six, the answer to how many more is three, not fifteen. Ask what the question wants before you reach for an operation. When you get it right, say thank You to God, who gave you that thinking mind.