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Tally charts, pictograms and block diagrams – Year 1 maths lesson

Lesson 18 of 18 in the Year 1 maths course

UK version. UK school years, UK spelling and pounds (£). · US Math Department

A complete 45-minute lesson for Year 1 (ages 5–6) that runs on this page – at school or at home. Every answer is marked straight away, with a worked explanation.

Time
45 minutes + 15 min homework
Year
Year 1 (ages 5–6)
You need
Paper, a pencil and this page
Marked
Instantly, with explanations

For parents: how to use this lesson

You don't need to know this topic yourself. The lesson explains each step on screen, one tidy step at a time. Every answer is marked straight away with a worked explanation, so you never have to mark anything.

  1. Read what your child will learn and the big ideas together.
  2. Press Start the lesson below and sit with your child for the teaching and the worked examples (about 19 minutes).
  3. Let them do the practice on their own. They choose Getting started, On track or Challenge – start on On track and move up after a few right in a row.
  4. Finish with the exit ticket and the talk question: “Why do we need a key on a pictogram?”
  5. Later that day or the next day: the homework (15 minutes), then a practice test.

Watch out for

  • Counting pictures instead of using the key. Read the key first: one picture may stand for 2.
  • Reading the bar against the wrong line. Use a ruler to read across from the top of the bar.

Tip for home: Count the colours of cars that go past and make a tally chart.

What your child will learn

We are learning to sort data and read tally charts, pictograms and block diagrams.

Success looks like

  • I can sort and count data.
  • I can read a chart using its key.
  • I can answer "how many more" questions.

Key words

data
information we collect
tally
a mark for each one counted
key
tells what each picture is worth
most popular
the biggest group

What to have ready

  • Paper and a pencil
  • This page on a computer, tablet or phone
  • For the hands-on part: Do a survey of the family: favourite colour or pet. Record it with tally marks, then draw a chart.

The big ideas (for the adult)

Data is information we collect, such as favourite fruits. Sorting puts things into groups.

A tally chart uses marks in groups of five. A pictogram uses pictures; check the key to see what each picture is worth.

To answer questions, find the right row or bar, then compare: most, least, how many more.

The lesson, step by step

45 minutes in 5 parts
PartTimeHow it is checked
Starter: quick recall5 minMarked by Classfern
Teaching input10 minNot assessed, self-checked
Worked examples and guided practice9 minNot assessed, marked by Classfern
Independent practice15 minMarked by Classfern
Plenary and exit ticket6 minMarked by Classfern, self-checked

Starter, "your turn", practice and exit ticket are marked by Classfern. Worked examples and teaching are not assessed. The hands-on task and the reflection are self-assessed. Explanations in talk are judged by the parent and not recorded.

The lesson

It runs here on the page. No sign-up and no names – progress is kept only in this browser.

Homework and practice at home

15 minutes: 8 practice questions, 3 multiple-choice questions and 2 to remember from earlier work, then a short reflection. New questions every time, all marked instantly.

More practice

All Year 1 maths lessons and tests · Maths Department

More Year 1 maths lessons

Curriculum

National Curriculum for England, Year 1: “ask and answer simple questions by counting the number of objects in each category and sorting the categories by quantity”

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Our lessons and questions are our own. They are not written or endorsed by any government department, testing agency or exam board.