Tally Chart Counting and Data Collection

Paper and pencil

A clipboard (optional but helpful)

A timer or watch

A window or outdoor seat for observing

Choose what to count: car colors, bird types, sounds, or people walking by.

Draw a tally chart with categories in rows.

Observe for 10 minutes. Tally each sighting in the right row.

Review tally marks: four vertical, fifth diagonal = a bundle of 5.

Count totals for each category.

"Which had the most? How many total?"

Convert tallies to a bar graph for visual comparison.

Choose a busy enough observation target. An empty street produces boring data.

The 10-minute window creates manageable datasets. Shorter if your child's attention span is shorter.

Tally marks are faster than writing numbers. Show how the fifth mark crosses the bundle — it's a built-in grouping system.

Compare data from different times: "Are there more red cars in the morning or afternoon?" This introduces the concept of variables.

Data collection is real science. Ornithologists count birds exactly like this. Emphasize that your child is doing real scientific observation.