Teaching article
Tally marks need a consistent counting rule
Link each mark to one recorded event and group marks according to the convention taught.
Agree what one mark represents before the first response is recorded. The tally can then be checked against the collection, giving children a reason to value a clear recording convention as well as tidy marks.
To hand: A short list of twelve fictional responses.
Define one mark as one recorded response and group marks consistently. The recording convention should be clear before data collection begins.
Make one mark mean one recorded item
Record responses one at a time. Group marks visibly. Check totals against the original list.
A tally is useful only if each response has a traceable mark; decorative groups are not data.
Do not tally the same response twice.
Can a partner reconstruct the count? Use counters before written tally groups.
Resources
- Reflection Journal Template — Use the blank reflection space for observations; write the measurement units and setup separately.
Further reading
Read next
- Read the picture-graph key before counting symbols
- Test reflection symmetry with corresponding points
- Price, payment and change: label the amounts before calculating
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