Level 1: Sorting and counting

Statistics and data · level 1 of 8 · rough age 5-6 (a guide for parents; anyone can start anywhere)

Statistics is the math of learning from lots of facts, and it starts with two things every young child can do: sort and count. In this level you sort the same buttons in different ways, count the groups and check the total, line things up in a fair picture graph, ask a question that everyone can answer, and read what a graph says and what it does not. Every lesson has pictures, things to try with real objects, and answers to check.

Lesson	You will be able to
Sorting things	Sort the same things by different rules, check that every thing is in exactly one group, and sort two ways at once in a grid
Counting what we sorted	Count each group, find the most and the fewest, compare by lining up, and use the total check to catch mistakes
Picture graphs	Make a fair picture graph with one sticker for each child, same-size stickers and a common starting line
Asking a question	Turn a muddled question into one with clear choices, and collect answers so that everyone answers exactly once
Reading a picture graph	Find how many more, how many fewer and how many altogether, and say what a graph does not tell us

Next: Level 2: Tallies and bar graphs · Back to the topic: Statistics