Comparison cards and print/plain-text toolsFoundation Maths · T2 W13–14 · Print Aids

Original SubjectNest draft · educator and accessibility review pending. © NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026, CC BY 4.0. Use the child prompt strips below. The teacher privately prepares the A/B quantities in the key; do not show the keyed table during the check. Each context is imaginary. Use the comparison page or PNG for counted sets. The original paper leaf/seed symbols and PNG can be cut or copied for Week 14. Print enough copies for both sets: one sheet has twenty of each symbol, so two leaf sets of 12 and 14 need two sheets. Pre-cut for pupils who do not use scissors. These are stylised marks, not scientific illustrations or observations.

Copyable no-picture route

SET A [                              ]
SET B [                              ]

Move each object once to count: A has ____; B has ____.
Pair one from A with one from B: matched pairs ____.
Unpaired objects: A ____; B ____.
Conclusion: A has MORE / FEWER / THE SAME NUMBER as B.
My evidence: I counted / I paired / I used both.

For counting, move objects from an uncounted region into a counted region, one move per number word. For pairing, set one A beside one B and leave unmatched pieces visible. If using matching positions on the grids, fill both from top left across each row before comparing cells; otherwise use separate pairing lanes on the table. Pairing alone tells the relation, not necessarily the exact total. A final count can name each quantity. A spread-out row is not proof of more. Use tactile trays/strips, enlarged or plain-text prompts, sign/AAC, and adult movement directed by the learner where needed. Large safe counters are a better option than tiny paper pieces for learners who need a grippable object.

Child prompt strips: varied everyday places

Print or read one line at a time. Each is a pretend counter task, not a claim about an actual school, service or household.

Child prompt strips: fictional paper drawings of living things

The drawings are imagined. They are useful for counting and comparison only; do not infer real plant or animal facts. Use symbols cut from paper-symbols.svg, teacher-drawn marks, or equivalent accessible tactile pieces. On cards naming a different living thing, neutral paper counters can stand for those imagined picture marks if the teacher says so; no detailed animal art is required. Change the artwork but preserve the teacher's A/B quantities.

Private teacher setup and answer key

Make A and B sets from the indicated counts. Set B spread out and A close together on C04 and L02, and reverse the layout on C09 and L07, so appearance cannot answer the task. Move/pair without adding or removing items. = means every object can have one partner; for unequal sets, the larger set has the remaining unmatched objects. Differences below count unmatched objects after maximum one-to-one pairing.

Four fresh teacher checks

Do not rehearse these exact sets before checking. Prepare counters or paper symbols without numeral labels in the child's view.

If a fresh set is changed, recalculate and write the actual key. Keep the child's mathematical record separate from any science observation. No real plant, seed, animal or child photograph is required.