LET’S TRY ONE
Which is greater: 42 or 38?
42
Four tens are greater than three tens.
Learning steps & teaching tips
Compare tens first and then ones.
- A greater tens digit settles the comparison unless the tens match.
- Work through the example. Explain how its evidence supports the answer.
- Try a new question; use the explanation to check your thinking.
Try it together
Write or draw your own example with different numbers. Solve it, then ask a partner to check the method as well as the answer.
A greater tens digit settles the comparison unless the tens match.