What is on this worksheet
Comparing two digit numbers looks obvious to an adult and is not obvious to a six year old, because it needs place value understood before it can be done. Forty five against fifty four uses the same two digits and the answer depends entirely on which one is in the tens column. Some pairs on this sheet are deliberately equal, so a child cannot get through it by assuming one side always wins, and the equals sign gets used rather than mentioned.
How to use it
Print the sheet and write the correct sign in the box between each pair of numbers. Some pairs are equal, so the equals sign is needed as well as greater than and less than.
Three ways to practice
Compare the tens first
Cover the ones digits and compare what is left. If the tens differ the answer is already settled, and only when they match does the ones column decide. That is the method, and it is worth naming.
Read the whole line out loud
Fifty four is greater than forty five. Reading the completed line as a sentence is how a child checks whether the sign points the way they meant, and it catches reversals fast.
Find the equal pairs
Before doing anything else, hunt the sheet for pairs where both numbers are the same. Knowing they exist changes how carefully the rest gets read.
A tip worth knowing
The open end of the sign always faces the larger number and the point faces the smaller one. Saying that once, and then checking each answer against it, works better than any crocodile story.
Printing this sheet
Frequently asked questions
How do I explain which way the sign goes?
The open end faces the bigger number, the point faces the smaller. State it plainly and check each answer against it. The alligator story is memorable but children often remember the alligator and forget which end is which.
Why include pairs that are equal?
Because a sheet where one side always wins teaches a child to guess rather than compare. Equal pairs force an actual reading of both numbers and put the equals sign to work.
What if my child gets the sign backwards every time?
That is usually a writing problem rather than a comparing one. Ask which number is bigger before any sign is written. If they answer correctly and then draw it the wrong way round, the maths is fine and only the notation needs practice.