How it works
A bar chart uses the height of a bar to show how many. The taller the bar, the more there are.
Look at the scale along the side first. Some charts count by 1s and some count by 2s or 5s.
Find the top of the bar, then slide your finger left to the scale to read the number.
Worked examples
Compare two bars
- The pear bar ends at 7. The apple bar ends at 9.
- How many more apples than pears? Take away: 9 − 7 = 2.
- There are 2 more apples.
Use a total
- The apple bar ends at 9. The chart says 15 apples and grapes together.
- The grapes are the missing part, so take away: 15 − 9 = 6.
- There are 6 grapes.
A scale that counts by 2s
- The scale counts by 2s. The cat bar ends at the 10 line and the bird bar at the 6 line.
- How many more cats than birds? 10 − 6 = 4.
- There are 4 more cats.
A taste of the worksheet
These are the first problems of set A. The printable sheet has many more, with an answer key.
- How many dogs are there? ___
- Which pet has the fewest?
- How many more dogs than cats? ___
- How many kites and boats are there together? ___
- Which toy has 1 more than the boats?
Words to know
- bar chart
- A chart where the height of each bar shows how many.
- scale
- The numbers along the side that tell you how much each step is.
Watch out for
- Read the scale before the bars. A step might be 2 or 5, not 1.
- Read the end of the bar, not the line next to it.
- Check what the question asks: how many, how many more, or how many fewer.
Try it
A bar for cats ends at 8 and a bar for dogs ends at 5. How many more cats than dogs?
3. 8 − 5 = 3.
A chart counts by 2s. A bar ends at the 3rd step. How many is that?
6. 3 steps of 2 is 6.
There are 12 apples and pears in all. The apple bar ends at 7. How many pears?
5. 12 − 7 = 5.
Do you read the scale or the bars first?
the scale. Check what each step is worth.
For grown-ups
Make your own chart: count socks, spoons or toy cars by kind and draw a bar for each. Ask 'which has the most?' and 'how many more?'