How to compare numbers

As a class we came up with the following steps to help us compare two or more numbers:

1. You can line them up, one on top of another, in the proper place value columns.

2. Look at the number of digits each number has. If one number has more digits, it will be larger than      the other and you are done.

3. If they have the same number of digits, look at the first digit on the left side of the number and compare those digits. The digit with the higher value will also be part of the larger number.

4. If the digits on the left are the same, compare the digits in the next column to the right.