Comparing Numbers
Ages 5–8Difficulty adapts to you
Comparing Numbers
Compare numbers to decide whether the first is greater than, less than, or equal to the second. Read the complete statement from left to right so the symbol has a clear meaning.
Your goals
- ✓You can use greater than, less than, and equal to.
- ✓You can use greater than, less than correctly.
- ✓You can read your comparison aloud from left to right.
Words to know
- greater than:
- More than another number; shown with >.
- less than:
- Fewer than another number; shown with <.
Examples
- 17 > 3 reads “seven is greater than three”.
- 22 < 9 reads “two is less than nine”. 5 = 5 reads “five is equal to five”.
Check these
- • Do not choose a symbol by its shape instead of reading the whole statement.
- • Keep every number, symbol, label, and unit in its correct place.
- • Show enough working to check how you reached your answer.
Helpful habits
- • Read the whole question before choosing what to do.
- • Show one clear step at a time and check each step.
- • If you are stuck, draw a model, try smaller numbers, or revisit the example.
Now try your own
Create your own comparing numbers example, solve it, and explain how you checked it.
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