What this worksheet covers
Comparing numbers means looking at the highest place first and moving right only when digits match. The pairs on this sheet are chosen to share digits, so students cannot answer from the first glance: 792 and 774 share a hundreds digit and need a look at the tens. A small share of pairs are equal, so the equal sign gets used.
Who it is for
Second grade, under 2.NBT.A.4, which asks students to compare two three-digit numbers using >, = and <. First graders do the same with two-digit numbers, and third graders use it as a warm-up before rounding.
Choosing <, > or = for two three-digit numbers · grades 2 and 3
A worked example
Compare 792 and 774. Both have 7 hundreds. The tens are 9 and 7, and 9 is more, so 792 > 774. Ask students to say the comparison as a sentence: 792 is greater than 774.
Mistakes to watch for
- Comparing the ones digits first because they are the last digits seen. Always begin at the left.
- Writing the symbol backward. Ask students to read the sentence aloud and listen for sense.
Make it your own
This sheet is one setting of the math worksheet generator. Open it there to change the skill, the range of numbers or the heading, or to mix several skills on one sheet.