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Greater Than Less Than Worksheets

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More or less, comparing numbers and the > < = symbols: from circling the group with more to comparing two-digit numbers, with answer keys.

Download the greater than less than worksheets

More or less worksheets

Compare numbers 1 to 10

Greater than, less than and equal to symbols

Comparing numbers to 20 and 100 (1st grade)

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these greater than less than worksheets

Greater than and less than are how children say which amount is bigger. The symbol > means greater than and < means less than; = means equal to. The easy way to remember them: the open side always faces the bigger number, and the point faces the smaller number. So 8 > 3 reads "8 is greater than 3" and 2 < 6 reads "2 is less than 6". Read every comparison from left to right, just like a sentence.

More or less comes first. Before kindergartners write any symbols, they compare real groups: which group has more, which has less (fewer), or are they the same? The more or less worksheets here have children circle the group with more, circle the group with fewer, follow a mixed more or less page, decide whether two groups are the same, and count two groups to see which is bigger. One more, one less pages with ten frames round out the set.

Next come numbers on their own. Children circle the bigger or smaller of two numbers from 1 to 10, with a counting line at the top to check against. Then the symbols: a printable greater than less than chart, a page to trace > < and =, and sheets to write the symbols between ten frames and between numbers to 10. For older kindergartners and 1st grade, there are pages to 20, a page that compares tens and ones, and a page of two-digit numbers to 100. Every page that has right answers comes with an answer key on page 2.

Standards

  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.C.6Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.
  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.C.7Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.
  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.4Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality. Understand that each successive number name refers to a quantity that is one larger.
  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NBT.B.3Compare two two-digit numbers based on meanings of the tens and ones digits, recording the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, and <.

How to use them

  1. Start with real objects. Put out two piles of blocks or snacks and ask, "Which has more? How do you know?" Lining the two piles up side by side, one across from one, shows the answer without counting.
  2. Move to the more or less sheets: circle the group with more, then the group with fewer, then the mixed more or less page. Have your child count each group out loud and say the answer as a sentence: "Seven is more than four."
  3. Use the ten frame pages next. A full row is 5 and a full frame is 10, so children can see which number is bigger at a glance.
  4. Hang the greater than less than chart where your child works, and trace the symbols together before the first symbols page. Say each one as it is written: "is greater than", "is less than", "is equal to".
  5. For numbers to 20 and to 100, compare the tens first. Only when the tens are the same do you look at the ones. The tens and ones page shows this with bars of ten and single squares.

Teaching tips

  • Some children pick the group that looks bigger, not the one with more. A short row of big objects can have fewer than a long row of small ones. Ask them to match or count before they answer.
  • In kindergarten, "fewer" is the right word for things you can count and "less" for amounts like water or sand, but many children and adults say "less" for both. Use both words, and the meaning matters more than the label.
  • If your child mixes up > and <, point to the open side: it always faces the bigger number. Then read the whole comparison aloud from left to right.
  • Watch for equal pairs. Every symbols page has a few, so children learn to check for = instead of always choosing > or <.
  • On two-digit pages, a common mistake is comparing the ones first (thinking 29 > 31 because 9 > 1). Cover the ones with a finger and compare the tens.
  • Print at actual size (100%) so the write-in boxes and circles stay big enough for kindergarten writing.

Questions teachers and parents ask

Which way does the greater than sign go?

The open side faces the bigger number and the point faces the smaller number. 9 > 4 means 9 is greater than 4; 4 < 9 means 4 is less than 9. Both say the same thing, read from left to right.

What are more or less worksheets?

More or less worksheets ask children to compare two groups of objects and find the one with more, the one with less (fewer), or say that they are the same. It is the kindergarten step before comparing written numbers and using the > < = symbols.

When do kids learn greater than and less than?

Kindergartners compare groups and numbers up to 10 using words like more, less and the same. Most classes introduce the > < = symbols late in kindergarten or in 1st grade, when children compare numbers to 100 by looking at the tens and ones.

Should I say fewer or less?

Fewer is used for things you can count (fewer apples) and less for amounts (less water), and the worksheets use both. Young children usually say less for everything, and that's fine while they learn what it means.

How do you compare two-digit numbers?

Look at the tens first: 52 is greater than 47 because 5 tens is more than 4 tens. If the tens are the same, like 35 and 38, compare the ones.