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Ordering Numbers: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Ordering Numbers is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children put sets of numbers up to 1000 in order from smallest to largest, using place value to decide. It takes about 15 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Each question gives children a set of four numbers to put in order from smallest to largest. There is space to write the answer. Most sets use the same digits in different places, so children have to look closely. A few sets mix numbers with different numbers of digits, including a number up to 1000. Children first check how many digits each number has, then compare place by place.
- 482, 248, 824, 428
- 705, 570, 750, 507
- 316, 361, 163, 136
- 999, 909, 990, 99
- 620, 602, 206, 260
- 1000, 100, 10, 101
- 451, 415, 541, 514
- 872, 827, 782, 728
A worked example
Put these in order from smallest to largest: 604, 64, 640, 460
This is a different set from the ones on the sheet. It shows two ways to work.
Method 1: count digits, then compare place by place- Count the digits. 64 has two digits. The others have three. A number with fewer digits is smaller, so 64 comes first.
- Compare the hundreds in the three digit numbers: 604 has 6, 640 has 6, 460 has 4. So 460 comes next.
- 604 and 640 have the same hundreds. Compare the tens: 0 tens is less than 4 tens, so 604 comes before 640.
- Draw columns headed Hundreds, Tens and Ones. Write each number with its last digit in the ones column.
- 64 goes in the tens and ones columns only. Its hundreds space is empty, which means no hundreds.
- Read down the hundreds column first, then tens, then ones. Write the numbers in order.
Three ways to order a set
Count the digits first
Look at each number and see how many digits it has. A number with fewer digits is smaller than a number with more digits. Sort the numbers into groups by digit count before comparing.
Line up the places
Write each number in a hundreds, tens and ones grid, with the ones digits in a straight line. Add a thousands column for 1000. Empty spaces show where a place has no digit.
Compare one place at a time
For numbers with the same number of digits, start with the biggest place. If those digits match, move to the next place. Keep going until the digits are different.
Why place value matters when ordering
The value of a digit depends on where it sits. In a three digit number, the first digit counts hundreds, the next counts tens and the last counts ones. The same digits can make very different numbers when they swap places. This is why children cannot just look at the digits themselves. They need to ask what each digit is worth.
Before comparing digit by digit, children need to check the length of each number. A number with more digits is larger than a number with fewer digits, because it has a bigger place at the front. A zero is also important. It is a placeholder that keeps other digits in the right column, and children need to read it carefully.
Skills and curriculum link
- Place value
- Comparing numbers
- Ordering numbers
- Reading digits by position
- Explaining reasoning
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Number and place value | Year 3 |
What children will be able to do
- I can compare numbers up to 1000.
- I can order numbers from smallest to largest.
- I can use place value to explain my order.
Ideas that help with ordering
- Count the digitsNumbers with more digits are larger than numbers with fewer digits. Check this before looking at any single digit.
- Line up by placeWrite numbers in columns so ones sit under ones and tens under tens. Then you compare like with like.
- Biggest place firstWhen two numbers have the same number of digits, compare the biggest place first. If those match, move along to the next place.
- Zero holds a placeA zero is not nothing to ignore. It shows that a place is empty and keeps the other digits in the right columns.
Key words
- Place valueThe value a digit has because of where it sits in a number.
- DigitOne of the symbols 0 to 9 used to write numbers.
- Hundreds, tens and onesThe three parts of a three digit number. In 352, there are 3 hundreds, 5 tens and 2 ones.
- Ascending orderSmallest to largest.
- Descending orderLargest to smallest.
- CompareLook at two numbers and decide which is greater, which is smaller, or whether they are equal.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first set together. Ask your child to count the digits in each number before they decide anything.
- Let them choose how to work: a place value grid, counters, or comparing place by place. Ask them to say why each number goes where it does.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you decide which came first?" The reasoning matters as much as the order.
- Come back another day and redo the sets that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Write each number in a hundreds, tens and ones grid, with ones lined up under ones. Or build them with place value counters. Sort the numbers by how many digits they have first. Then compare one column at a time, starting with the biggest place.
To stretch confident children
Put each set in order from largest to smallest instead. Then make your own set of four numbers using the same three digits in different places and ask a friend to order them. Explain how you know your order is right.
Make it a game
Write numbers on cards, including some with one, two and three digits. Shuffle them and deal four each. Race a friend to put your cards in order from smallest to largest. Check each other's order and explain your thinking.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child compares only the first digit they see, so 64 looks bigger than 604 because 6 is next to 6, then 4 is bigger than 0.
Try thisCount the digits first. 64 has two digits and 604 has three, so line them up in a grid by place before comparing.
Watch forA child ignores a zero and treats 604 as if it were 64.
Try thisShow that the zero keeps the 6 in the hundreds place. Build 604 with counters: 6 hundreds, 0 tens and 4 ones.
Watch forA child orders correctly by the hundreds but then guesses the order of numbers with the same hundreds.
Try thisCover the hundreds and look at the tens. Remind them to move to the next place only when the digits in the current place match.
Talk about it
- Which number would you look at first in a set, and why?
- How can you tell a number is smaller without counting up to it?
- What does the zero do in a number like 604?
- Can you make a different number using the same three digits? Is it bigger or smaller?
- How would you explain your order to a friend?
- What changes if you order from largest to smallest instead?
Take it off the page
Washing line numbers
Write numbers on paper cards and peg them on a string in order from smallest to largest. Add a new card and decide where it fits.
Digit cards
Make three digit cards from paper. Arrange them in every possible way, write down each number and put them in order.
House number hunt
On a walk, spot house numbers or bus numbers. Pick three or four and say which is smallest and which is largest.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first set, then let them lead. Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty. Ask them to count the digits and say which place they are comparing before they decide.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or homework after teaching place value to 1000. The sets include numbers with different numbers of digits, so it shows who checks digit count before comparing places.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with place value counters, a number line on the wall and everyday number talk. Use it again for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits
Before this, children count in tens and hundreds and learn that a digit's value depends on its position. They read and write numbers up to 1000 and compare two numbers at a time, using the signs for greater than and less than.
After this, children compare and order numbers beyond 1000 and use the same place value ideas with thousands. They also use ordering skills when reading scales, comparing measures and working with larger numbers in calculations.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Which digit do you look at first, and why?
- How do you know which number is biggest?
- Can you put these numbers in order and say how you did it?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Ordering Numbers for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. It practises comparing and ordering numbers up to 1000 using place value, which is part of the Year 3 number and place value strand.
- What will children practise?
Children compare numbers up to 1000 and put them in order from smallest to largest. They use place value to decide, which means thinking about what each digit is worth, not only what it looks like.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages and give page 1 to your child. It takes about 15 minutes. Ask them to count the digits in each number first, then compare place by place. Check with page 2 afterwards.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use place value counters or write the numbers in a hundreds, tens and ones grid. Sort the numbers by how many digits they have first. Try a few sets, then come back to the rest another day.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, so one copy of the file goes a long way.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time after school, rainy days and school holidays. Black and white printing is fine.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity with no preparation beyond printing. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or as part of a wider plan.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.