What is it?

The “Ordering Numbers” collection of resources will help pupils make comparisons between numbers of different values.

How to use it

One of the simplest activities is “Number Line Drop” (from TES iboard), which forces pupils to track where numbers are on a number line and “drop” them at the appropriate place. This is ideal for differentiation, as there are some versions looking at simple units and others that deal with decimals and fractions; plus teachers can work with high or low numbers, dependent on pupils’ ability. There are other number line games featuring a bee or a fish.

Further TES iboard resources ask pupils to compare numbers by asking whether they are higher or lower than a given value, or whether they occur between two given numbers.

A fun activity to get pupils comparing number values is Celebrity Millionaires (from Mujibul), where pupils have to put the famous faces in order according to how much they earn. Missjones09, meanwhile, has uploaded a resource called The Jolly Postman, which involves children cutting out envelopes and putting them in order.

For teachers familiar with the sumdog.com free maths games site, there is a lesson plan on ordering numbers (sumdog), where teachers use volunteers of different heights, giving them numbers which pupils then have to place in order.

Another lesson plan, from the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching, introduces pupils to using the number 10 in counting or ordering numbers. For younger primary pupils or early years children, halletinx has uploaded an activity based on the well-known rhyme Ten Green Bottles.

Where to find it

www.tes.co.ukcomparing.