From counting to data
Graphs start with counting, then turn the counts into something you can compare at a glance. These sheets do both on one page, then ask questions that need the graph to answer.
Talk about the graph
Ask which bar is tallest and how they can tell without counting, and what a new picture would do to the graph.
Curriculum links in England
- Year 2Pupils interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and tables.
- QuestionsYear 2 pupils answer questions by counting objects in each category, sorting categories by quantity, and totalling and comparing.
- Year 3Bar charts join pictograms and tables, with one- and two-step questions such as how many more and how many fewer.
Statistics starts in Year 2 in the national curriculum. There is no data strand in Year 1 or in the early learning goals, though Reception children often sort and count in play, so the picture graph sheets work there as a counting activity.
Teachers in England call a picture graph a pictogram. These sheets use one picture for each item, which is right for Year 2. In Year 3, pictograms can use a scale, with one picture standing for several items.
Summarised in our own words from the National Curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study (DfE).
