Comparing numbers – Grade 1 math lesson
Lesson 2 of 15 in the Grade 1 math course
US version. US grades, US spelling and dollars ($). · UK Maths Department
A complete 45-minute lesson for grade 1 (ages 6–7) that runs on this page – at school or at home. Every answer is graded right away, with a worked explanation.
- Time
- 45 minutes + 15 min homework
- Grade
- Grade 1 (ages 6–7)
- You need
- Paper, a pencil and this page
- Graded
- Instantly, with explanations
For parents: how to use this lesson
You don't need to know this topic yourself. The lesson explains each step on screen, one tidy step at a time. Every answer is graded straight away with a worked explanation, so you never have to grade anything.
- Read what your child will learn and the big ideas together.
- Press Start the lesson below and sit with your child for the teaching and the worked examples (about 19 minutes).
- Let them do the practice on their own. They choose Getting started, On track or Challenge – start on On track and move up after a few right in a row.
- Finish with the exit ticket and the talk question: “How do you know 52 is greater than 25 without counting?”
- Later that day or the next day: the homework (15 minutes), then a practice test.
Watch out for
- Looking at the ones before the tens (thinking 29 > 31). Compare the tens first: 2 tens is less than 3 tens.
- Turning the sign the wrong way. The sign opens its mouth towards the bigger number.
Tip for home: Compare two prices or two scores and say which is greater.
What your child will learn
Learning goal: compare and order numbers using more than, less than and the signs <, > and =.
Success looks like
- I can say which number is greater.
- I can use <, > and =.
- I can put numbers in order.
Key words
- greater than
- more than (>)
- less than
- fewer or smaller than (<)
- equal
- the same amount (=)
- order
- put in a line from smallest to largest
What to have ready
- Paper and a pencil
- This page on a computer, tablet or phone
- For the hands-on part: Build two numbers with cubes or counters and line them up side by side to see which is greater. No counters? Draw the two amounts as dots in rows.
The big ideas (for the adult)
To compare two numbers, look at the biggest place first: compare the tens, and only if they match, compare the ones.
The sign > means "is greater than" and < means "is less than". The open side faces the bigger number.
= means both sides are the same amount.
The lesson, step by step
| Part | Time | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Starter: quick recall | 5 min | Graded by Classfern |
| Teaching input | 10 min | Not assessed, self-checked |
| Worked examples and guided practice | 9 min | Not assessed, graded by Classfern |
| Independent practice | 15 min | Graded by Classfern |
| Closure and exit ticket | 6 min | Graded by Classfern, self-checked |
Starter, "your turn", practice and exit ticket are graded by Classfern. Worked examples and teaching are not assessed. The hands-on task and the reflection are self-assessed. Explanations in talk are judged by the parent and not recorded.
The lesson
It runs here on the page. No sign-up and no names – progress is kept only in this browser.
Homework and practice at home
15 minutes: 8 practice questions, 3 multiple-choice questions and 2 to remember from earlier work, then a short reflection. New questions every time, all graded instantly.
More practice
More Grade 1 math lessons
- Numbers in words
- Addition facts to 10 and 20
- Adding and subtracting
- The equals sign and missing numbers
- Addition and subtraction word problems
- Skip counting
- One more, one less, ten more and ten less
- Tens and ones
- Number lines
- Recognizing fractions
- Telling time
- Measuring length
- Picture graphs and bar graphs
- Shapes and position
Curriculum
Common Core State Standards 1.NBT.B.3: “Compare two two-digit numbers based on meanings of the tens and ones digits, recording the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, and <.”
Our lessons and questions are our own. They are not written or endorsed by any government department, testing agency or exam board.