Which numbers are used?

To 10 and 20 in Reception and Year 1, to 100 in Year 2, and to 1000 in Year 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.

Is the 0 to 1,000 level right for Year 2?

Only as a stretch. The national curriculum keeps Year 2 comparisons within 100 and moves to numbers up to 1,000 in Year 3, so use the to 100 sheets for most of Year 2.

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.

Curriculum links in England

ReceptionChildren compare quantities up to 10, saying when one is greater than, less than or the same as another.
Year 1Pupils use the words equal to, more than, less than (fewer), most and least.
Year 2Numbers from 0 up to 100 are compared and ordered using the <, > and = signs.
Year 3Comparing and ordering extends to numbers up to 1,000.

In England the symbols arrive in Year 2. In Reception and Year 1 comparison is spoken, so read each pair aloud in words first (“47 is greater than 45”) and add the symbol once the language is secure.

The Year 1 wording pairs “less than” with “fewer”, and many teachers use “fewer” for things you can count, such as fewer cubes, and “less” for amounts. The 1,000 setting belongs to Year 3, when children also learn the value of each digit in a three-digit number.

Summarised in our own words from the EYFS statutory framework (early learning goals) and the National Curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study (DfE).