Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To Worksheets

You can find endless math comparison worksheets below. We have a complete series for elementary grade levels. A great hint for students is to point the arrow at the value that is worth the least.

No Negative Numbers

1. 0 to 100 | Answer Key
2. 0 to 10 Version 1 | Answer Key
3. Values 0 to 1000 Version 1 | Answer Key
4. Values 0 to 1000 Version 2 | Answer Key
5. Values 0 to 1000 Version 3 | Answer Key
6. 0 to 1000 Version 4 | Answer Key
7. 0 to 10,000 Version 1 | Answer Key
8. Values 0 to 10 Version 2 | Answer Key
9. Values 0 to 10 Version 3 | Answer Key
10. Values 1000 to 10,000 Than, Or Equal | Answer Key

Includes Decimals

1. Decimals Greater or Less Than Version 1 - We now start to look at decimals. Children have great difficulty with this at first. We have multiple versions available.
2. Decimals Greater Or Less Than Version 2
3. Decimals Greater Or Less Than Version 3
4. Decimals Greater Or Less Than Version 4
5. Decimals Greater Or Less Than Version 5
6. Values -100 to 100 w/ Decimals Version 1 | Answer Key
7. Values -100 to 100 w/ Decimals Version 2 | Answer Key

Includes Negative Numbers

1. Values -10 to 10 Version 1 | Answer Key
2. Values -10 to 10 Version 2 | Answer Key
3. Values -10 to 10 Version 3 | Answer Key
4. -100 to 100 Version 1 | Answer Key
5. Values -100 to 100 Version 2 | Answer Key
6. Values -100 to 100 Version 3 | Answer Key
7. Values -100 to 10,000 Version 1 | Answer Key
8. Values -100 to 10,000 Version 2 | Answer Key
9. Values -100 to 10,000 Version 3 | Answer Key

Shape and Measure Comparison Worksheets

Here you will find basic visual comparison worksheets. You can also find collective math representation worksheets. Look below for your traditional greater than, less than, or equal sheets.

Size Comparison

• Circle the Largest and X the Smallest Shape | Answer Key
• Comparing Objects Bigger and Smaller | Answer Key
• From Large to Small Worksheet | Answer Key

Amount / Counting

• Color Less | Answer Key
• Color More | Answer Key
• Color the Group That Has Less | Answer Key
• Draw Fewer Shapes | Answer Key
• Draw More Shapes Than You See | Answer Key
• Who Has More Shapes? | Answer Key
• Who Has More? | Answer Key

Patterns, Similarites, Differences

• The Great Shape Match | Answer Key
• Picture Match | Answer Key
• Which Doesn't Belong? Version 1 | Answer Key
• Which Doesn't Belong? Version 2 | Answer Key
• Which Doesn't Belong? Version 3 | Answer Key
• Which Doesn't Belong? Version 4 | Answer Key
• Which Doesn't Belong? Version 5 | Answer Key

What Is the Greater Than, Less Than, Equal Skill?

In mathematical operations, symbols represent relationships between numbers. For example, in the math problem "3 + 5," "3" and "5" are both numbers, and the Plus sign means addition.

Conceptual symbols are used to represent concepts instead of numbers or operations. The most common conceptual symbols are greater than, less than, and equal. Greater than and less than required the use of two separate number values.

When using these conceptual symbols in math problems, remember that they always go in between two number values or variable names such as a, b or c. For example:

7 > 2

a < b

The symbol "equal" is the only one of these three conceptual symbols that do not have open space on each side. Instead, it requires an equal sign on each end as follows: 4=4

Examples

There are many different mathematical symbols. It can be hard to keep them all straight. Therefore, let's discuss what its symbol means and what it represents.

Greater Than

Greater than is a math symbol that shows if one value is greater than another. It's used in math equations where one number is larger than the other.

For example:

In words, we can write seven is greater than 5. However, in a math equation, we would use symbols instead of words, and so this statement would look like this: 7 > 5.

Both statements tell you that 7 in relationship with 5 is a greater number.

Less Than

Less than is a Math symbol that shows if one value is less than another. It's used in math equations for one number that is smaller than the other.

For example:

The example we discussed shows the relationship of 7 with the number 5. However, if you are now to establish the relationship of 5 with 7, we can say that 5 is less than 7. In a math equation, you can use the less than symbol in such a way: 5 < 7.

Equal To

Equal means both sides of an equation have the same value. These are called equivalent expressions. Using an equal sign makes it easier to show how two things match up by putting them on either side of the sign: 2 + 4 = 6 and 6 = 2 + 4 are both true statements because adding two plus four adds up to six in either case.

How Do You Remember Which One Applies?

Symbols of less than and greater than are so similar that it is often confusing for students to Remember which symbol should be used. However, these three methods help remember which symbol to use when.

The Alligator Method

The alligator method is the most fun for students to learn and the easiest way to remember. Imagine that the symbols of less than and greater than are an alligator's mouth. The alligator's mouth would only open to eat the largest number of fish in the pond. So, if you have 3 fishes on one side and 8 on the other, the alligator's mouth will open towards 8 in such a way:

3 < 8

Similarly, if you have 5 and 3, the alligator's mouth would open towards 5 in such a way:

5 > 3

Remember that you open the alligator's mouth only towards the bigger number, whether written first in the equation or the last.

The 'L' Method

The 'L' in the 'L' method represents less than. Therefore, if the sign resembles a slanted 'L' shape which is this sign (<), it means that it is the sign of less than. So, if you were asked to describe the relationship of 4 with 9, you would use the slanted ‘L’ and write '4 < 9', which means four is less than nine.

The Open End Method

The open end of the symbol (< or >) represents the big number. Therefore, the open side or the big side would always face the bigger number, whereas the arrow or the closed side would always point to the smaller number.

5 < 13

Why Is Teaching This Skill Important?

Students are always curious to know why they are learning a new concept. Instead of hanging them, answer the question and tell them how learning greater than, less than, and equal is important in improving their math skills.

- Builds a Basic Number Sense: By teaching how to compare two numbers, students can identify the relationship between the numbers. They can also remember which numbers come first and which numbers come next in line.

- Allows Writing Statements Easily: Knowing which symbol to use to make a thorough comparison is useful in mathematical equations and programming languages. Shorthand symbols can help reduce the space of working with big equations.

- Aids in Solving Open Equations: Math is not limited to what the students are learning right now. Many equations in math and programming are solved by knowing greater than less than symbols.

Conclusion

The most important conceptual symbols in math are greater than, less than, and equal. There are different symbols that are based on these three basic symbols. Teaching the use of these symbols to your students and building a good base can help your students build a good foundation of arithmetic, statistics, and algebra that they will be learning in the future. Discuss greater than less than examples with them in the class daily to reinforce the concept.

How do you remember less than greater than? Remembering these symbols can be challenging. However, with constant practice and trial and error, students can finally build up a good pace. The alligator method, the L method, and the open end method are some recommended methods to aid your students in distinguishing and remembering these symbols.

Using visual tools to reinforce this concept can also help students differentiate the symbols. Happy teaching!