In Year 2, one picture can stand for more than one thing, and bars replace rows of pictures. Children learn to check the key or the scale before reading a chart.
What your child will learn
- Read a pictograph where each picture stands for 2 or 5
- Read a bar chart using its numbered scale
- Compare two rows or bars and add them together
Check the key first
If each picture stands for 2, then four pictures mean 8, not 4. On a bar chart, follow the end of the bar down to the scale to read its value. Reading the key or scale first prevents the most common mistake.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Which has the most?
Weather this month - Cloudy
- Windy
- Rainy
Show answer
Answer: Cloudy. Cloudy has the longest row of pictures: 12.
2. Which has the fewest?
Pets in our class - Fish
- Cats
- Dogs
Show answer
Answer: Fish. Fish has the shortest row of pictures: 2.
3. Which has the most?
How we travel to school - Walking
- Bike
- Bus
Show answer
Answer: Bike. Bike has the longest row of pictures: 12.
Tips for grown-ups
- Draw a pictograph of family birthdays by month, with one picture for every 2 people.
- Look for bar charts in books and newspapers and read the scale together.
- Ask “What does one picture stand for?” before any other question.