Year 3 bar charts use bigger scales, counting in 10s or 20s, and some bars end between two numbers. Children also answer questions that take two steps, such as finding a total.
What your child will learn
- Read a bar chart with a scale in 10s or 20s
- Read a bar that ends halfway between two numbers on the scale
- Find totals and differences from a chart
Halfway between
If the scale shows 20 and 30 and a bar ends exactly halfway between them, its value is 25. For a question such as “how many more?”, read both bars first, then subtract.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. How many more for Bus than for Car?
How we travel to school Show answer
Answer: 20. The Bus bar ends at 90. The Car bar ends at 70. 90 − 70 = 20.
2. Which has the most?
Favourite fruit - Oranges
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Grapes
Show answer
Answer: Oranges. Oranges has the longest bar: 80.
3. Which has the most?
Weather this month - Cloudy
- Windy
- Sunny
- Rainy
Show answer
Answer: Windy. Windy has the longest bar: 80.
Tips for grown-ups
- Keep a rainfall or temperature chart for a week and choose a sensible scale.
- Take turns asking two-step questions about a chart.
- Draw the same data with two different scales and compare how it looks.