Things to remember:

• To compare numbers we start from the biggest place value and work towards the right until one number is bigger than the other.
• To keep track of a list when order, cross them out as you go!
• Ascending means “getting bigger”.
• Descending means “getting smaller”.
• If you know your place values, it will make this topic much easier.

Ordering numbers is just like doing lots of comparisons, but how do we compare numbers?

Which is bigger, 556 or 565?

Starting with the 100s: Both have 5 100s (This doesn’t help).

Moving onto the 10s: Our first number has 5 10s, and our second number has 6 10s.

Because the pace value is bigger in the second number, we know this has to be biggest!

565 is bigger than 556.

When we order numbers, we are just doing lots of comparisons.

Put the following numbers in descending order (a fancy way of saying biggest to smallest)

56                    256                  567                  346                  222

We can put a line through as we go

56                    256                  567                  346                  222
567 

56                    256                 567                  346                 222
567                 346 

56                    256                  567                  346                  222
567                346                 256 

56                    256                  567                  346                  222
567                 346                256                222

56                   256               567                    346                  222
567               346              256                222                56