2nd Grade Comparing Expressions Worksheet: Greater Than, Less Than or Equal

Show a seven-year-old 679 and 679 + 9, then ask which is bigger. Some will reach for a pencil to add; others will just smile, because adding 9 can only make it grow. This 2nd grade comparing expressions worksheet rewards that smile. Ten pairs run down the page, each with an empty box in the middle for one of three comparison symbols: greater than, less than or equal. Many pairs share a number, like 74 + 3 and 74, or 1000 and 1000 + 0, so your child can decide by thinking about what the plus or minus does. However, a few, such as 900 − 300 and 300, need a quick sum in the head first. A firefighter carrying a bucket runs along the side. A second page gives the answer key.

Why you can compare without calculating

Adding a number other than zero always makes a total bigger, and subtracting one always makes it smaller. Once a child truly knows this, 99 against 99 − 14 needs no subtraction at all.

That is a form of number sense, and when comparing numbers it is worth more than speed. It also prepares your child for algebra later on, where comparing expressions without working them out becomes a daily habit.

The page includes two quiet tests of the idea. In 0 + 107 and 1000 + 0, the zero changes nothing, so the sides are equal. Meanwhile, items a and i ask for a real bit of mental math, which keeps children from guessing by pattern alone.

At the table: the pairs that look alike

First, begin with item b, 74 + 3 and 74. Ask, "Did we add something or take something away?" Let your child point to the plus sign before choosing.

Item i is where the slip tends to happen. The number 300 appears on both sides, and a child may write the equal sign. Instead of correcting, ask, "What is 900 take away 300?" The answer settles it.

In item a, 50 − 25 and 25, the sides really are equal, which surprises some children. Let them check with two hands of coins.

Also, for item j, the numbers look huge. Point to 801 on each side and ask what the 528 does. Big numbers, simple idea.

After the page: compare at home

Comparisons hide in daily life. Pour two glasses of juice, add a splash to one and ask which glass now holds more. Then, at dinner, put the same number of peas on two plates, take a few from one and ask which plate has fewer.

For an outdoor game, draw a Hopscotch grid in chalk with a number in each square. Two players hop, add the numbers they land on, then write their scores with the right comparison symbol between them.

When you check the answer key together, praise the reasoning: "You knew without adding." That shortcut is the whole point of the page.