Comparison Word Problems Worksheet

Lesson Overview

About this worksheet

Comparison word problems teach the most foundational reading-into-math move at grades 2 and 3: deciding when two amounts should be SUBTRACTED to find a difference rather than added to find a total. The cognitive skill is reading slowly enough to spot the signal words – ‘how many more’, ‘how many fewer’, ‘how much taller’, ‘who collected more, and by how many’ – and then choosing subtraction (larger minus smaller) instead of defaulting to addition because the problem ‘mentions two numbers’.

The reference box at the top of page 1 introduces the skill in three layers. First, a one-sentence definition of a comparison problem. Second, the operation rule (subtract the smaller from the larger to find the DIFFERENCE). Third, a list of common signal phrases. A worked example – Ali has 12 apples, Sam has 7 apples, find how many more apples Ali has – shows the work explicitly as 12 – 7 = 5 with the answer labeled in correct units. The (12, 7) operand pair does NOT appear in any assessed item.

Section A on page 1 has 6 single-step comparison items in a single-column layout: marbles, pages read, books owned, points scored, cans collected, and heights compared. Every item is one subtraction; five ask only for the difference, and one asks for who-has-more plus the difference (so students get practice naming the larger group, not just the number).

Section B on page 2 has 4 multi-step problems with work boxes. Each item layers a totaling step on top of a comparison: Owen has 8 fewer stickers than Tara (find Owen’s count, then the total); Drew runs 3 more miles on Sunday than Saturday (find Sunday’s miles, then the two-day total); the library has 24 chapter books and 9 picture books (find the difference AND the total). Page 3 is a complete answer key with the subtraction (and addition for Section B) shown.

How to Use This Lesson

Project the page 1 reference box and read the definition out loud: a comparison problem asks how two amounts differ.

Walk through the worked example (Ali has 12 apples, Sam has 7) and write 12 – 7 = 5 on the board. Anchor the rule: subtract smaller from larger.

Read the Section A signal-word list aloud and have students share a short sentence using each phrase before they start the items.

Work Section A item 1 (Jake has 14, Mia has 9) together; show the subtraction and the unit label (‘marbles’).

Have students complete Section A independently. Circulate and check that they subtract larger minus smaller, not first minus second.

Walk through Section B item 7 (Owen has 8 fewer than Tara, who has 20) together; show the two steps – find Owen, then total – so students see the multi-step structure.

Use Section B item 9 (24 chapter books vs 9 picture books, find both the difference AND the total) as a closing whole-class example.

Use the answer key on page 3 for self-check or aide spot-check.

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