> < and Alligators

Tonight Reed was working in a second grade workbook, doing math problems. He was adding two sets of 3-digit numbers (i.e. 341 + 126 and 213 + 481) and then had to compare and decide if the first sum was greater than, less than or equal to the second sum. I explained the alligator memory device - that the symbols look like an alligator and the alligator always wants to eat the bigger number since he's really hungry, so you draw the alligator's open mouth always facing the bigger number. We went along through a few problems and then he said "But what if the alligator just wants to eat the smaller number first, and save the bigger number for last?" Oh, just go with it, son, just go with it!

He was also quite excited about the possiblity that there might be two sets of numbers that added up to more than 1,000 - he said "Wouldn't that be SO cool, Mom?!?!?!?"