K-5 friendly lesson
One small step at a time.Read the idea, try the activity, and celebrate each win as you go.

Which Tally Chart is Correct?

/// Let's make tally marks! Tally marks are the fastest way to count things when you are trying to keep track of a busy game or a survey.

Do this: Read the concept below, then try the quiz or activity.

Lesson 96 of 180

Concept

Tally marks are straight lines we draw to keep track of numbers.

๐ŸŽฏ The Tally Rules: * One thing = One line ( | ) * Two things = Two lines ( || ) * Three things = Three lines ( ||| ) * Four things = Four lines ( |||| ) * FIVE things = Four lines with a diagonal "slash" across them! ( ~~||||~~ )

The 5th line always crosses out the first 4. This makes a "bundle of 5". Why do we do this? Because it's super fast for our brains to count by 5s! (5, 10, 15...).

Example: If we have 7 things, we don't draw |||||||. Our brains have a hard time counting that fast. We draw a bundle of 5, plus 2 extra ones! ( ~~||||~~ || ). So much easier to read.

Try it

Find the right tallies!

Instructions: Count the tally marks and pick the correct chart.

Problem 1: Mia saw 4 bugs. Which tally mark drawing is correct? A) |||| B) ||||| C) ~~||||~~

Problem 2: Leo saw 8 cars. Which drawing is correct? A) |||||||| B) ~~||||~~ ||| C) ~~||||~~ ~~||||~~

Problem 3: You see the tally marks: ~~||||~~ ||||. What number is that? * Bundles of 5: One bundle (5) * Extra ones: 4 * Total: 5 + 4 = ___

Problem 4: Is this a correct way to draw tallies for the number 5? -> ||||| * Yes / No