As you ask the question, post 4,260 and 4,209 one under the other so the columns line up. Take three hands-up answers, not open call-outs. Don't confirm yet — the whole lesson is about how we know, not just which is bigger. Listen for anyone who says "4,209 is bigger because it has a 9 in it" — that's the misconception this lesson fixes.

Trace left to right down each column with your finger.

3,000 and 800: one reaches the thousands, the other stops at hundreds. 3,000 > 800.

5,400 and 5,700: thousands tie (5 and 5), move to hundreds, 4 against 7, seven wins. Stop the moment you find the difference. 5,400 < 5,700.

6,231 and 6,238: everything ties (6, 2, 3) down to the units, 1 against 8. Pause and ask the class to predict before revealing. 6,231 < 6,238.

2,090 and 2,900: the key one, where the Getting Started slip dies. Thousands tie, then hundreds 0 against 9. Same length fools no one who reads the columns. 2,090 < 2,900.

Drive home: read the columns, not the number of digits.

This round is for talking it through together — pupils take turns at the board and the class agrees or corrects out loud.

Each card shows a pair of numbers; the two buckets are the signs. A pupil drags the pair toward greater than or less than to state which relationship reads correctly, then names the deciding column.

• Insist on the sentence: "the thousands tie, so we look at the hundreds…" Revoice a strong answer word for word.
• Head off the classic slip: the wide end of the sign faces the bigger number, the point faces the smaller.
• Come back to 4,260 vs 4,209 from Getting Started — now the class can name the tens column as the decider.

These are the practice questions — pupils take turns at the board, check each answer, and the class confirms before moving on. Keep the board work brisk rather than over-explaining.

• 1,999 vs 2,001 — the thousands column decides straight away (1 against 2); the run of 9s is a distraction. This is an easy way in point.
• 3,450 vs 3,405 — thousands and hundreds tie; the tens (5 against 0) decide.
• 7,080 vs 7,008 — thousands and hundreds tie again; the tens (8 against 0) decide.
• 9,909 vs 9,990 — the ceiling item: thousands tie, hundreds tie (9 and 9), then the tens (0 against 9) finally settle it. Have the class predict before the Check.