Which numbers are used?

To 10 and 20 for Kindergarten and Grade 1, to 100 for Grade 2, and to 1000 for Grade 3.

Why are some pairs so close?

Many pairs differ by a little or share digits, like 47 and 74, so children compare tens before ones instead of guessing.

Are some pairs equal?

Yes, a few in each sheet, so = gets used too.

Comparing Numbers Worksheets: Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To

Place value in action

Comparing two-digit numbers is really a place value question: which has more tens? Pair this page with place value worksheets.

Provincial curriculum links

BC KComparing quantities from 1 to 10.
BC Grade 1–3Comparing and ordering numbers to 20 in Grade 1, to 100 in Grade 2 and to 1000 in Grade 3.
ON Grade 1–3Numbers up to 50 in Grade 1, up to 200 in Grade 2 and up to 1,000 in Grade 3.
BC Grade 1Showing equality and inequality, recorded with = and ≠.

Canadian provinces move through big numbers more slowly than some American programs, so choose the range by your province rather than by grade label. In Ontario, the “to 20” sheets suit Grade 1, “to 100” fits Grade 2 and “to 1000” fits Grade 3. In BC, “to 10” suits Kindergarten, “to 20” Grade 1, “to 100” Grade 2 and “to 1000” Grade 3.

BC starts with comparing real collections in Kindergarten, so before the symbols, line up two towers of cubes and ask which has more and how many more.

Summarized in our own words from the BC Mathematics curriculum (K–3) and Ontario’s overview of The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Mathematics (2020).