Greater than, less than, equal to worksheets
The <, > and = symbols, with equals cases mixed in so it stays a real question.
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About greater than, less than, equal to
Comparing numbers sounds trivial and is not. The symbols are arbitrary, easily reversed, and most worksheets never include an equals case — so children learn to always pick one of two symbols rather than actually judge.
Roughly one question in five here has two equal numbers, which forces a child to look before answering.
What actually helps
- The open end faces the bigger number. The crocodile eats the bigger meal, if that helps.
- Say the whole sentence aloud: 'seven is greater than four'.
- Watch for a child who never writes '='. That is the tell that they are pattern-matching.
Common questions
How do you teach greater than and less than?
Anchor it on the shape: the wide open end always faces the larger number. Then insist the child reads the finished statement aloud as a sentence.
Why do children reverse the < and > symbols?
Because the symbols carry no meaning on their own. Tying the shape to the size of the number, and reading the statement out loud, is what makes it stick.
Thank you — that genuinely helps.
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