School Sparks - Kindergarten Readiness

More about the importance of bar graph worksheets

Bar graphs are an easy way for children to quickly compare different groups of items. By putting the different items along the horizontal axis of the bar graph and the number of items along the vertical axis of the bar graph, children can estimate how many of each item is depicted by observing how tall the column is. Also, children can count the exact number of items either by counting each individual block in the column or by observing the number on the left of the graph that corresponds to the height of each column.

What makes bar graphs for kids special

Bar graphs for kids are a special subset of bar graphs. They have engaging, colorful pictures, only a few different items to be accounted for on each page, and the boxes in each column are large enough that children can easily distinguish one box from the next.

Tips for creating polls and using bar graphs with your child

Bar graphs are an easy way for a child to organize information and making a personalized poll question and bar graph is a fun activity for kids. Before setting your child loose to begin taking a poll and recording answers on a bar graph, consider a few simple tips to encourage your child’s success with this activity:

• Yes/No questions are easy for first-time poll takers to execute. Having only two response options will make it easier for him to make comparisons about the responses he received when he is done with the poll. Also, when helping your child create a poll, encourage him to write the words “yes” and “no” under each respective column (or just the letters Y and N). This will help your child from getting confused as he takes his poll.
• Once your child is comfortable creating bar graphs and taking polls, you can encourage him to ask questions with more than two possible answers. For example, if your child loves cereal, encourage him to ask others what their favorite breakfast food is. Or, if your child is going to a bakery, encourage him to ask others what their favorite baked good is from a list of popular items such as cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and rice crispy treats.
• Encourage your child to carry his bar graph with him when he leaves home. He can ask friends at a play date or neighbors at the park his survey question. And each additional response is one more box he can fill in on his bar graph.

Activities to try at home to supplement the graphing worksheets

Using all the shoes in your closet, challenge your child to create a three dimensional bar graph on your closet floor by putting all sneakers in one column, all sandals in a second column, and all dress shoes in a third column. Then challenge him to say which group of shoes has the most. Or, have him make a bar graph on your dining table by lining up different types of glasses and mugs.

As you are putting away your child’s clothes, ask him to count how many shirts he has in the closet or how many pairs of pants he has. Ask him which item of clothing he has the most of, which item of clothing he has the least of, and which items he has the same amount of. Then consider going into your closet and having him compare the number of shirts he has with the number of shirts you have, for example. Later, your child can record this information with a bar graph.

Say aloud two numbers (such as 6 and 12) and have your child say which number is bigger. Then suggest two different numbers and have your child say which number is smaller. Or, point out speed limit signs as your drive with your child. Explain how a 20 MPH limit means you need to go slower than a 65 MPH limit, for example, since 20 is less that 65. The more you child is able to readily identify which number is larger and which number is smaller, the easier it will be more him to make comparisons about different items recorded on a bar graph worksheet.

Put different amounts of the same snack in two different cups and ask your child which cup he wants. First, ask him to make a guess about which container holds more items, based on the height the snack reaches in the cup. Then ask him to count the pieces in each cup to determine which has more, recording the information on a bar graph.