Comparing Numbers Worksheets

How to use the Comparing Numbers Worksheet

1. Type a heading in Title on the sheet, or keep the default, Comparing Numbers.
2. Under Task, choose Write <, > or =, Order from least to greatest, or Order from greatest to least.
3. Under Numbers, choose a range: within 10, within 20, 2-digit through 6-digit numbers, decimals to tenths, or decimals to hundredths.
4. Under Pairs that are equal, choose None, A few (about 1 in 10), or Some (about 1 in 5).
5. For ordering tasks, set Numbers in each set to 3 or 4.
6. Tick Include tricky pairs (like 0.5 and 0.45) to add the pairs children most often get wrong.
7. Choose the number of Problems (12, 15, 18, 20, 24 or 30) and the number of Columns (2, 3 or 4).
8. Keep Include answer key ticked to print the key on its own page after the worksheet, or untick it to leave the key off.
9. Check the preview, then press Print or save as PDF.

Paper size can be set to US Letter or A4. Press New worksheet for a different set with the same settings. Each sheet shows a short worksheet code under the buttons. Reset settings returns every control to its default. The page address stores your settings, so a bookmarked or shared link opens the same sheet again. If the settings allow fewer different problems than you asked for, a note above the problems says so.

How do you compare two whole numbers?

Compare whole numbers by counting digits first, then reading from the left. The number with more digits is larger, and when the digit counts match, the first place where the digits differ decides the answer.

For example, 987 and 1,045 look close if you only compare the 9 and the 1. But 1,045 has four digits and 987 has three, so 1,045 is larger. Numbers like 3,452 and 3,425 use the same digits, so they look the same. Work from the left until you find a place that differs. Both numbers have 3 thousands and 4 hundreds, so the tens decide it: 5 tens is more than 2 tens, which makes 3,452 greater.

The sign points to the bigger number. Its open side faces the larger value, so 47 < 74 is read as “47 is less than 74.” Reading each finished problem aloud from left to right helps. If the sentence sounds wrong, the sign is backward.

Why do decimals like 0.5 and 0.45 cause mistakes?

Many children think 0.45 is larger because it has more digits and 45 is bigger than 5. Decimals are compared by place value, not by how many digits they have.

Read the decimals as tenths and hundredths. 0.5 is five tenths. 0.45 is four tenths and five hundredths. Four tenths is less than five tenths, so 0.5 is greater. To make this clear, write a zero on the end so both numbers have two decimal places (0.50 and 0.45), then compare them place by place.

Tricky pairs also include pairs like 0.07 and 0.3. Equal pairs help with decimals too. Writing 0.3 and 0.30 shows that a trailing zero does not change a decimal’s value. Ask children to explain one or two answers in a full sentence, such as “0.5 is greater because 5 tenths is more than 4 tenths.” Explaining the reason is what helps the rule stick.

Tricky pairs also include equal decimals written differently, such as 0.3 and 0.30. They are the same amount, because a zero added at the end of a decimal does not change its value, so the correct sign between them is =.