{"id":4235,"date":"2026-07-22T20:53:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T20:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/?p=4235"},"modified":"2026-07-23T10:17:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T10:17:00","slug":"metodo-do-crocodilo-maior-que-e-menor-que","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/greater-than-less-than-crocodile-method\/","title":{"rendered":"Maior que, Menor que: Como ensinar \u00e0s crian\u00e7as o m\u00e9todo do crocodilo"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4235\" class=\"elementor elementor-4235\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-410090c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"410090c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9e632d9\" data-id=\"9e632d9\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ec7ab43 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ec7ab43\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The greater than symbol (&gt;) and the less than symbol (&lt;) show which of two numbers is bigger. The number on the open, wide side of the symbol is the larger one; the number on the pointed side is the smaller one.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These symbols trip up a lot of young learners, not because the concept is hard, but because remembering which way the symbol points takes practice. That&#8217;s where visual tricks like the crocodile method come in.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Jump to a section:<\/b><\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#what-symbols-mean\">What Do the Greater Than and Less Than Symbols Mean?<\/a><\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#alligator-method\">The Crocodile (or &#8220;Alligator&#8221;) Method: How It Works<\/a><\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#does-it-work\">Does the Crocodile Method Actually Work?<\/a><\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#other-ways\">Other Ways to Teach Greater Than and Less Than<\/a><\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#research\">The Research Behind Number Comparison<\/a><\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#activities\">Simple Activities to Practice at Home<\/a><\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#magrid\">How Magrid Teaches Number Comparison<\/a><\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#faq\">FAQ<\/a><\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4b3ba19 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4b3ba19\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-dfe57fb\" data-id=\"dfe57fb\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48e1a95 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"48e1a95\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 id=\"what-symbols-mean\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>What Do the Greater Than and Less Than Symbols Mean?<\/b><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both symbols compare two numbers and show which one is bigger:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Greater than (&gt;):<\/b> the number on the left is larger. For example, 7 &gt; 4 means 7 is greater than 4.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Less than (&lt;):<\/b> the number on the left is smaller. For example, 3 &lt; 9 means 3 is less than 9.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The concept itself, that one quantity can be bigger or smaller than another, isn&#8217;t the hard part for most children. What actually causes confusion is remembering which direction each symbol points. That&#8217;s the piece a visual trick can fix.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f95a11f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f95a11f\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a7008f4\" data-id=\"a7008f4\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a96afab elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a96afab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 id=\"alligator-method\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>The Crocodile (or &#8220;Alligator&#8221;) Method: How It Works<\/b><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common way to teach these symbols turns the shape itself into a hungry animal, most often called a crocodile, though in the US it&#8217;s usually known as an alligator.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b516f3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7b516f3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/thumbs\/greater-than-symbol-alligator-method-7-4-rqozxtlol69ubvbazjn4w6b7taiys0rv6nzbodkdvc.webp?w=800&#038;ssl=1\" title=\"Greater Than Symbol Explained with the Crocodile Method\" alt=\"Diagram showing the greater than symbol as a crocodile&apos;s mouth opening toward the larger number, 7 greater than 4\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-60974a9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"60974a9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ad424dd\" data-id=\"ad424dd\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-855481d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"855481d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The story is simple: the crocodile is always hungry, and it wants to eat the bigger number. Its mouth, the open side of the symbol, always turns toward the larger value. In 8 &gt; 5, the wide-open mouth faces the 8, because 8 is the number worth eating. Once a child pictures the symbol as a mouth rather than an abstract mark, the direction tends to stick.<\/span><\/p><h2 id=\"does-it-work\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>Does the Crocodile Method Actually Work?<\/b><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It works well for one specific job: helping a child remember which way a symbol points. Where it falls short, and where some elementary math educators have pushed back, is that it doesn&#8217;t teach a child anything about the actual size of the numbers involved. A child can correctly point the crocodile&#8217;s mouth at 8 without truly understanding that 8 represents a larger quantity than 5.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The honest way to use it is as a memory shortcut for the symbol itself, alongside other methods, like a number line, that build real number sense. Used on its own, and past the age where the underlying comparison skill should already be solid, it can become a crutch rather than a bridge.<\/span><\/p><h2 id=\"other-ways\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>Other Ways to Teach Greater Than and Less Than<\/b><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The crocodile isn&#8217;t the only trick, and mixing methods tends to work better than relying on just one.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #3366ff; font-size: 0.85em;\"><b>The Arrow Method<\/b><\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some children find it easier to picture both symbols as arrows rather than mouths. The arrowhead always points toward the smaller number, the opposite direction from where the crocodile&#8217;s mouth would face. Either mental image describes the same rule; some kids simply respond better to one than the other.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #3366ff; font-size: 0.85em;\"><b>The L-Shape Hand Trick<\/b><\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holding the left hand up with the thumb and index finger extended forms an &#8220;L&#8221; shape, a physical reminder that the less-than symbol looks like a sideways L. It&#8217;s a simple trick that gives children something tactile to fall back on, especially when they need a quick reminder during independent work or a test.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #3366ff; font-size: 0.85em;\"><b>Using a Number Line<\/b><\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rather than teaching the symbol first, a number line teaches the underlying idea: a number further to the right is always bigger. Once a child can place two numbers on a line confidently, the symbol becomes a shorthand for something they already understand, not an arbitrary rule to memorize.<\/span><\/p><h2 id=\"research\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>The Research Behind Number Comparison<\/b><\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The skill underneath all of this, being able to quickly and accurately compare two numbers, is more than a classroom exercise. Research has repeatedly linked it to broader mathematical achievement. A study following primary school children found that performance on a simple symbolic number comparison task explained real differences in arithmetic competence, even after accounting for other factors (<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0067918\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nosworthy, Bugden, Archibald, Evans, &amp; Ansari, 2013<\/a>). A separate review of the wider evidence base reached a similar conclusion: how well a child processes symbolic numerical magnitude is closely tied to individual differences in mathematical skill (<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.tine.2013.06.001\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">De Smedt, No\u00ebl, Gilmore, &amp; Ansari, 2013<\/a>).<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, teaching a child to compare 7 and 4 confidently isn&#8217;t a small, isolated skill. It&#8217;s one of the early building blocks that later mathematics tends to rest on.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/magrid.education\/what-is-magrid\/\"><b>Try Magrid for free<\/b><\/a> and see how the same visual approach applies to number comparison.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d9a30aa elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"d9a30aa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/magrid.education\/what-is-magrid\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Try Magrid for free<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2c3a644 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2c3a644\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-de0bc21\" data-id=\"de0bc21\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce64bab elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ce64bab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 id=\"activities\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>Simple Activities to Practice at Home<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">None of these need the crocodile story at all, which is exactly the point: they build the number sense underneath it.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f8cbf93 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f8cbf93\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/thumbs\/child-comparing-quantities-greater-than-symbol-rqp07yb28w53gkljtxadrma2asldqkzpwt3pvqjmt4.webp?w=800&#038;ssl=1\" title=\"child-comparing-quantities-greater-than-symbol\" alt=\"Child building tower stacks of blocks next to popsicle sticks forming a greater than symbol\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4a8cb53 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4a8cb53\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-09be209\" data-id=\"09be209\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66afa07 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"66afa07\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Compare snack piles.<\/b> Two small piles of crackers or grapes, ask which pile has more, then let your child eat the &#8220;winner&#8221; as a small reward.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Play a &#8220;highest card wins&#8221; game.<\/b> Each player flips a card, whoever has the bigger number keeps both. It&#8217;s comparison practice disguised as a game kids already like.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Compare house numbers on a walk.<\/b> Ask which house number is bigger as you pass by, a quick, no-prep way to practice comparison in the real world.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Build towers and compare heights.<\/b> Two block towers of different sizes give a physical, visual sense of &#8220;more&#8221; and &#8220;less&#8221; before any symbol enters the picture.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 id=\"magrid\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>How Magrid Teaches Number Comparison<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Magrid&#8217;s newest Symbolic Number Comparison activity uses the same internationally recognised open-mouth concept behind the crocodile method, but keeps it entirely visual: children compare quantities and place the correct symbol without needing to read or hear any instructions first.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This activity doesn&#8217;t stand alone. It sits at the end of a progression that starts well before any symbol appears on screen. Children first practise <b>Select the Largest<\/b>, choosing between visual groups of objects, then <b>Choose the Largest Group<\/b>, comparing quantities organised into tens and leftover pieces, and <b>Create Equal Groups<\/b>, adjusting two sets until they balance. Only once a child is comfortable comparing real quantities does Magrid introduce the greater than and less than symbols themselves, so the symbol becomes a shorthand for something already understood, not a new rule to memorise from scratch.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-47c1ddc elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"47c1ddc\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5e136a1\" data-id=\"5e136a1\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ec775cd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ec775cd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This mirrors Magrid&#8217;s broader approach, grounded in over a decade of cognitive science research at the University of Luxembourg: give a child a structured, visual way to build a concept first, then let the formal notation follow naturally once the underlying number sense is already there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/magrid.education\/what-is-magrid\/\"><b>Try Magrid for free<\/b><\/a> and give your child a structured, visual way to build number sense from the start.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-98caa8c elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"98caa8c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/magrid.education\/what-is-magrid\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Try Magrid for free<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8db584b elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8db584b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/magrid-symbolic-number-comparison-activity.webp?fit=768%2C337&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-4262\" alt=\"Magrid&apos;s Symbolic Number Comparison activity showing children comparing quantities and numbers using the crocodile mouth symbol\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/magrid-symbolic-number-comparison-activity.webp?w=1891&amp;ssl=1 1891w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/magrid-symbolic-number-comparison-activity.webp?resize=300%2C132&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/magrid-symbolic-number-comparison-activity.webp?resize=1024%2C450&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/magrid-symbolic-number-comparison-activity.webp?resize=768%2C337&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/magrid-symbolic-number-comparison-activity.webp?resize=1536%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/magrid-symbolic-number-comparison-activity.webp?resize=18%2C8&amp;ssl=1 18w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/magrid-symbolic-number-comparison-activity.webp?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9135442 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9135442\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7a9bad4\" data-id=\"7a9bad4\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dfb6444 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dfb6444\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 id=\"faq\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><b>FAQ<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-015f6f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-elementskit-faq\" data-id=\"015f6f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"elementskit-faq.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ekit-wid-con\" >\n                <div class=\"elementskit-single-faq elementor-repeater-item-1fe6eb1\">\n            <div class=\"elementskit-faq-header\">\n                <h2 class=\"elementskit-faq-title\">What does the greater than symbol mean?<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"elementskit-faq-body\">\n                The greater than symbol (&gt;) shows that the number on its left is bigger than the number on its right. For example, 9 &gt; 3 means 9 is greater than 3.            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"elementskit-single-faq elementor-repeater-item-97dada9\">\n            <div class=\"elementskit-faq-header\">\n                <h2 class=\"elementskit-faq-title\">What is the crocodile method for greater than and less than?<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"elementskit-faq-body\">\n                It's a memory trick that turns the symbol into a hungry mouth. The open side always faces the bigger number, since the crocodile wants to eat the larger amount.            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"elementskit-single-faq elementor-repeater-item-fec6b05\">\n            <div class=\"elementskit-faq-header\">\n                <h2 class=\"elementskit-faq-title\">Is the crocodile method the best way to teach greater than and less than?<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"elementskit-faq-body\">\n                It's a useful memory shortcut, but on its own it doesn't build real number sense. It works best alongside methods like a number line, which teach why one number is actually bigger, not just which way a symbol points.            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"elementskit-single-faq elementor-repeater-item-530667f\">\n            <div class=\"elementskit-faq-header\">\n                <h2 class=\"elementskit-faq-title\">At what age do kids learn greater than and less than symbol?<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"elementskit-faq-body\">\n                Most children start learning these symbols in kindergarten or first grade, typically between ages 5 and 7.            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                                <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What does the greater than symbol mean?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The greater than symbol (&gt;) shows that the number on its left is bigger than the number on its right. 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These symbols trip up a lot of young learners, not because the concept [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/magrid.education\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/greater-than-symbol-building-blocks-hero.webp?fit=1672%2C941&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbG2q8-16j","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4235"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4424,"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4235\/revisions\/4424"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magrid.education\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}