Every sheet of 1st grade comparing numbers worksheets on this page is built the moment you open it, so the 20 problems below are not the same ones the last visitor printed, and the answer key is generated with them. Two of the problems on the sheet as it stands are 64 □ 64 (write >, < or =) and 63 □ 61 (write >, < or =) — answers = and > — and a new set is one click away.
‘New set of problems’ opens the generator in its own tab. There you can change the problem count and turn the answer key on or off. ‘Print or save as PDF’ opens the print dialog — choose Save as PDF in the printer list to keep the file. The sheet fits US Letter and A4, and the answer key prints on its own page.
The reliable method is to compare digit by digit from the left and stop at the first difference — that is exactly how a computer does it, and it settles 64 □ 64 (write >, < or =) without any guessing.
Comparing numbers looks trivial until the digits are close. A problem like 64 □ 64 (write >, < or =) resolves to = only if the child reads the places in order rather than judging by the leftmost digit alone.
The greater-than and less-than symbols carry their own difficulty, quite separate from the comparison itself. Many children know which number is bigger and still write the symbol the wrong way round.
Comparison work is also place-value work in disguise. A child who cannot answer 63 □ 61 (write >, < or =) quickly is usually not seeing the columns.
In US classrooms these 1st grade comparing numbers worksheets are commonly aligned with the number comparison expectations for this grade, though the exact wording varies from state to state.
| # | Problem | Answer | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 64 □ 64 (write >, < or =) | = | Watch for: missing the equals case |
| 2 | 63 □ 61 (write >, < or =) | > | Check: rushing the close pairs |
| 3 | 49 □ 25 (write >, < or =) | > | Look at: stopping at the first digit |
| 4 | 72 □ 19 (write >, < or =) | > | Ask about: writing the symbol backwards |
| 5 | 14 □ 73 (write >, < or =) | < | Watch for: comparing by length instead of by value |
| 6 | 77 □ 20 (write >, < or =) | > | Check: reading grouping commas as decimal points |
Try 49 □ 25 (write >, < or =) together before letting the child start alone. The answer to 49 □ 25 (write >, < or =) is >, and talking through how it was reached takes about a minute and saves several minutes of guessing later in the sheet.
Work 72 □ 19 (write >, < or =) out loud as a demonstration. It gives >. Children who hear 72 □ 19 (write >, < or =) reasoned through once at the start of a session make noticeably fewer errors in the ten minutes that follow.
Answers appear next to their question numbers, so a wrong item like 63 □ 61 (write >, < or =) can be found in the key in a second and re-worked while it is still fresh.
Keys are produced by the same code that produces the questions, so a mismatch between question and answer is not possible on these sheets.
Portrait orientation is what the sheet is designed for. Landscape works but wastes about a third of the paper, so leave the orientation alone unless you have a reason.
Printing works the same on US Letter and A4, because the layout uses relative widths rather than fixed inches. Set margins to default and scaling to 100%, and all 20 problems fit.
One sheet of 1st grade comparing numbers worksheets a day for two weeks will tell you more about where a 1st grader actually stands than any single long assessment.
→ Free 1st Grade Math Worksheets · → Free Comparing Numbers Worksheets
Free printable math worksheets from a working math academy director in Korea. Problems come from our own code, not from a published workbook. Every sheet prints on US Letter or A4 with its answer key. All worksheets · Worksheet generator · Korean site
Last updated: 2026-09-13