Numbers don’t stop at zero. Negative numbers describe temperatures below freezing, floors below ground and money owed. Year 6 children compare them and count through zero.
What your child will learn
- Read and compare negative numbers
- Count up and down through zero
- Find the difference between a negative and a positive number
Think of a number line
On a number line, numbers get smaller as you move left. So −7 is smaller than −3, even though 7 is bigger than 3. From −4 up to 6 is 4 steps to reach zero, then 6 more: a difference of 10.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Which is bigger: -5 or -2?
- -5
- -2
Show answer
Answer: -2. On a number line -5 is further to the left than -2, so -5 is the smaller number.
2. Which is smaller: -5 or -4?
- -5
- -4
Show answer
Answer: -5. On a number line -5 is further to the left than -4, so -5 is the smaller number.
3. Which is smaller: -9 or 6?
- -9
- 6
Show answer
Answer: -9. On a number line -9 is further to the left than 6, so -9 is the smaller number.
Tips for grown-ups
- Look at a weather map of a cold country and compare the temperatures.
- Use a lift: the car park at −2, the ground floor at 0, the flat at 5.