Comparatives and superlatives can be tricky for some children, and they may need direct instruction and repeated practice to understand and use these in everyday language. So, how do you teach comparatives and superlatives in speech therapy? Let’s dive in! Here’s a full step-by-step guide to teaching this important language skill.
What are Comparatives and Superlatives?
Comparatives and superlatives are forms of adjectives and adverbs that describe how things compare to each other.
Comparatives
- Comparatives are used to compare two things.
- They often end in -er or use words like more or less.
- Examples: bigger, smaller, faster, more colorful, less difficult.
Superlatives
- Superlatives are used to compare three or more things.
- They often end in -est or use words like most or least.
- Examples: biggest, smallest, fastest, most colorful, least difficult.
Why are Comparatives and Superlatives Important?
Comparatives and superlatives are foundational for many other language and academic skills, such as:
- Describing pictures, scenes, and objects
- Answering WH questions (e.g., “Which one is the biggest?”)
- Comparing and contrasting
- Following directions (e.g., “Circle the smallest number.”)
- Writing and storytelling
- Math and science language (measuring, sorting, and observing differences)
When are Comparatives and Superlatives Typically Learned?
Children begin to understand and use comparatives and superlatives early in development, though not all children master them at the same time. Here are some general developmental milestones. Please note that these age ranges are meant as a general guide.
- 4–5 years: understanding of comparative and superlative adjectives, such as big, bigger, biggest
- 5–6 years: using comparative adjectives, such as loud, louder
Foundational Skills for Learning Comparatives and Superlatives
To truly know whether a child understands comparatives and superlatives, you want to make sure that they understand the describing word being used in the sentence. For example, if a child is asked to point to “the biggest dog,” but they don’t yet understand the concept “big”, it can be hard to tell whether the difficulty is with the grammar form (biggest) or with the describing word itself (big).
As such, it’s helpful for children to have some understanding of the following skills when working on comparatives and superlatives:
- Basic vocabulary (animals, food, toys, common objects, and actions)
- Basic qualitative concepts (big/small, tall/short, fast/slow)
- Basic quantitative concepts (more/less, most/least)
How To Teach Comparatives and Superlatives in Speech Therapy
Overview
Comparatives and superlatives can be taught in different ways depending on the student’s age, learning style, and language level. Some students benefit most from learning through modeling and play, while others respond well to direct instruction with simple grammar rules. You can also use a combination of both approaches.
This guide discusses both approaches within 3 steps:
- Introduce the concept through modeling and/or explicit teaching
- Practice understanding comparatives and superlatives (receptive language)
- Practice using comparatives and superlatives (expressive language)
Step 1: Introduce the Concept
Teach Through Modeling
For younger students or those who learn best through play, start by modeling comparisons naturally during play and daily activities. Use simple, clear sentences to describe objects as you compare them.
For comparatives (2 items):
- “This one is small. This one is smaller.”
- “This car is fast. This car is faster.”
For superlatives (3+ items):
- “This one is big. This one is bigger. This one is the biggest.”
The goal is to help the child hear the pattern and notice how language changes when we compare two things, or three things, without needing to explain the rule.
Teach the Rule Explicitly
For older students or kids who benefit from direct instruction, use child-friendly language to explain the rule.
For comparatives (2 items):
You could say: “when we compare two things, we use a word like bigger or smaller“, and explain that there are two common ways to make a comparative:
Short describing words: add -er
- big → bigger
- fast → faster
Long describing words: use more or less
- colorful → more colorful
- comfortable → less comfortable
For superlatives (3+ items):
You could say: “when we compare three or more things, we use a word like biggest or smallest“, and explain that there are two common ways to make a superlative:
Short describing words: add -est
- big → bigger → biggest
- fast → faster → fastest
Long describing words: use most or least
- colorful → more colorful → most colorful
- comfortable → less comfortable → least comfortable
You can also use visuals to teach the rule in a clear and effective way and support visual learners.
Step 2: Practice Understanding (Receptive Language)
Once the student has been introduced to the pattern, check their understanding by incorporating comprehension tasks into play-based activities.
Choose the activity
Use a variety of activities to help strengthen comprehension and ensure the student truly understands the concept. You can use:
- Toys
- Books
- Worksheets
- Board games
- Movement activities
Check understanding of comparatives
During your chosen activity, ask questions that allow the child to demonstrate understanding of comparatives. For example, if you’re using blocks and building a block tower alongside the child, you might check their understanding by comparing the two block towers. For example:
- “Which tower is taller?”
- “Which tower has more blocks?”
The child can show their understanding of “taller” or “more” by pointing to the correct tower or answering verbally, e.g., “my tower”.
Check understanding of superlatives
Once the child understands comparatives, introduce superlatives by having 3 or more objects to compare. For example, you might add a third block tower and ask questions during play. For example:
- “Which tower is the tallest?”
- “Which tower has the most blocks?”
The child can show their understanding of “tallest” or “most” by pointing to the correct tower or answering verbally, e.g., “your tower”.
After that, work across size, speed, length, and other familiar object characteristics to strengthen understanding of comparatives and superlatives. Then, once the child consistently shows understanding across a few activities and sessions, move on to expressive practice (using the concepts).
Step 3: Practice Using the Forms (Expressive Language)
Once the child has demonstrated strong understanding, it’s time for them to practice using comparative and superlative words accurately.
Choose the activity
You can use the same types of activities as in receptive practice but reverse the task. Instead of giving directions with a comparative or superlative word, use a consistent sentence frame that requires the child to use the target word forms.
Check accurate use of comparatives
Using the block tower example from earlier, you might say:
- “This tower is tall.”
- “This one is ___.” (point to the taller tower and wait for the child to respond)
When you pause and wait, this creates an opportunity for the child to fill in the blank and use the comparative word, in this case, “taller”. You can repeat this same structure with other concepts, e.g., long/longer, cold/colder, etc.
Check accurate use of superlatives
Once the child is consistently using comparatives, add a third item and extend the sentence frame:
- “This tower is tall.”
- “This one is ___.” (point to the taller tower)
- “And this one is the ___.” (point to the tallest tower)
The pauses create opportunities for the child to use the comparative and superlative words, in this case, “taller” and “tallest”. You can repeat this same structure with other concepts, e.g., long/longer/longest, cold/colder/coldest, etc.
Practice tip
If the child has difficulty using the right word or word form, model the full sentence first and then try the fill-in-the-blank format again.
Favorite Toys to Teach and Practice Comparatives and Superlatives
Here are some of my favorite toys to teach and practice comparatives and superlatives in speech therapy sessions.
Toy cars
Toy cars are great for concepts related to speed, such as faster/fastest and slower/slowest.
- Teaching: “This car is fast. This one is faster.”
- Receptive practice: “Point to the faster car.”
- Expressive practice: “This car is fast. This one is ___. This one is the ___.”
Play food
Play food works well to target comparatives and superlatives with quantities like more/most, less/least, and size concepts like bigger/biggest and smaller/smallest.
- Teaching: “This spoon is small, but this one is smaller.”
- Receptive practice: “Which plate has the most food?”
- Expressive practice: “This bowl is big. This bowl is ___, and this bowl is the ___.”
Blocks
There are a lot of concepts that arise naturally when making block towers which are great for practicing comparatives and superlatives such as taller/tallest, longer/longest, more/most.
- Teaching: “My tower is tall, but yours is taller!”
- Receptive practice: “Which block is the longest?”
- Expressive practice: “This tower has many blocks. This one has even __, and this one has the __!”
Adapting Activities for Older Kids and Virtual Sessions
Comparatives and superlatives can still be very engaging for older students and in teletherapy! You just need to adjust the materials to match their age, interests, and learning environment, as physical toys are harder to use virtually and don’t engage older students as much as board games or paper-based activities like worksheets.
Worksheets
Worksheets can be helpful to teach and practice comparatives and superlatives, especially for older kids and for virtual speech therapy sessions. I also find it helpful to have worksheets when the physical toys you have available don’t necessarily have multiple sizes. For example, play food sets don’t usually include a small, smaller, and smallest apple, which can make it harder to clearly teach and practice these language targets.
That’s why I’ve created a comparative and superlative activity packet for students to learn and practice with clear visuals and engaging activities. This packet can save a ton of prep time and provide a lot of practice for students. For example, see the image below for a virtual activity targeting comparatives and superlatives included in the packet.
Comparatives and Superlatives Carryover and Home Practice
Having lots of practice across different activities is great, and having practice across different settings with different people is even better for carryover! Encourage families and teachers to practice during daily routines whenever possible:
- During meals: “Which cup is smaller?”
- During cleanup: “Put the bigger blocks in this bin.”
- While reading: “Which animal is the tallest?”
You can use information handouts and simple worksheets to encourage consistent practice at home and in the classroom to support generalization.
Practice Tips for Teaching Comparatives and Superlatives Effectively
- Start simple: Teach comparatives before superlatives.
- Repeat often: Repetition is important to ensure strong understanding.
- Make it fun: Students are more engaged and motivated when they’re having fun!
- Use visuals: Visuals can be very helpful to support learning of new skills.
What’s Next After Comparatives and Superlatives?
Once students can use comparatives and superlatives accurately, you can build on these skills by targeting (if appropriate):
- Describing pictures, scenes, and objects
- Answering WH questions
- Comparing and contrasting
- Following directions
A Step-by-Step Resource for Teaching Comparatives and Superlatives
We’ve covered how to teach comparatives and superlatives in speech therapy step by step. Whether you’re a speech therapist, parent, or educator, these skills can be taught in a clear and engaging way.
To make this even easier, I’ve created a Comparatives and Superlatives Activity Packet loaded with fun worksheets, no-prep activities, handouts, and visuals! Check out the activity packet below to save planning time and use it in your next session or at home with your child.
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