Bar Graphs and Pictographs for Kids: Collect, Sort, Show

Graphs are how we make a pile of information easy to see. For children, the best way to understand a bar graph or a pictograph is to make one from data they collected themselves. A graph of “favorite pets in our class” means far more than a graph in a textbook.

This guide walks through a simple three-step routine: collect, sort, show. Then it adds the fourth step that matters most: talk about it.

Bar graphs and pictographs: what is the difference?

Both graphs compare categories. Both have a title and labeled categories.

• A pictograph uses small pictures or symbols. Each symbol stands for a number of things, shown in a key. For example, one smiley face equals 2 children.
• A bar graph uses bars of different lengths. A scale along one side shows how many each bar represents.

Pictographs are friendlier for younger children because they can count the symbols one by one. Bar graphs come next, once children are comfortable with scales and counting by 2s, 5s or 10s.

Step 1: Ask a question worth answering

A good graphing question has a small set of clear answers and is interesting to the children asking it. Try:

• What is your favorite fruit: apple, banana, grapes or orange?
• How do you get to school: walk, bike, bus or car?
• Which season do you like best?
• What is the first letter of your first name? (Groups by letter.)

Keep the choices to three to five categories. Too many make the graph messy, and a “none of these” choice can catch everything else.

Avoid questions where the answers are private or could embarrass someone, such as questions about money, size or appearance.

Step 2: Collect the data

For a classroom or group, children can vote by raising hands, placing a sticky note on a chart, or making a tally mark. For a child at home, ask relatives, neighbors or friends, or count something around the house: the colors of cars on your street, or the kinds of shoes by the door.

A tally chart is the bridge between raw data and a graph. Draw one column for the category and one for tally marks. Count in fives, with four lines and a fifth line across them, so totals are quick to read. The on-screen tally tool works the same way if you prefer a screen.

Step 3: Sort and count

Before drawing anything, add up each category and write the totals. Then ask:

• Do the totals add up to the number of people we asked?
• Which category has the most? The fewest?

That check is useful. If you asked 20 people and the totals add to 19, someone was missed or counted twice.

Step 4: Show it as a pictograph

For a first graph, a pictograph on paper is perfect.

1. Write a title across the top: “Our Favorite Fruits.”
2. List the categories down the left side.
3. Draw one symbol for each vote in a row next to its category. Keep symbols the same size and evenly spaced, so rows can be compared at a glance.
4. Add a key: “Each apple = 1 vote.”

For larger data, a key such as “each symbol = 2 votes” is a good stretch. Half a symbol then stands for one vote, which gets children thinking about fractions.

Step 5: Show it as a bar graph

A bar graph introduces a scale. Here is a clean method.

1. Draw two lines at right angles: a horizontal axis along the bottom and a vertical axis up the left side.
2. Write the categories along the bottom, spaced evenly.
3. Decide the scale on the vertical axis. If the largest total is 12, count by 1s or 2s up to 12 or 14. Each line must be equal in distance from the next.
4. Draw a bar for each category up to its total. Bars should have the same width, with gaps between them.
5. Label both axes and add a title. The vertical axis might say “Number of children,” and the bottom might say “Fruit.”

Graph paper makes this much easier. If you would rather check your work on screen, the graph maker tool draws a bar graph from your numbers so children can compare it with their own.

Step 6: Talk about it

Building the graph is only half the work. Interpreting it is where the thinking happens. Ask questions at three levels:

• Read the data: How many chose bananas? Which fruit is the favorite?
• Compare: How many more chose apples than grapes? How many fewer chose oranges than apples?
• Think beyond the graph: Why might apples be popular? If we asked another class, would we get the same answer? What would you do with this information if you were running a snack shop?

That last level is the most valuable. It teaches children that a graph is evidence for an idea, not just a picture.

Five quick graphing projects

1. Shoe sort: Group shoes by type (sneakers, boots, sandals) and graph the counts.
2. Birthday months: Graph how many people have a birthday in each month.
3. Weather watch: Tally sunny, cloudy, rainy and snowy days for a month, then graph it.
4. Snack survey: Ask each person to pick one snack from four options.
5. Reading minutes: Graph the minutes read each day for a week, as a bar for each day.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Bars of different widths or uneven spacing. It makes a larger bar look more important than it is. Use graph paper or draw guide lines.

A scale that skips or is uneven. If the lines go 0, 2, 4, 5, 10, the picture lies. Mark each line before drawing bars.

Missing titles or labels. Ask, “If someone found this graph on the floor, would they know what it shows?”

Symbols of different sizes in a pictograph. One big smiley looks like more than one small smiley. Keep them uniform, or use simple circles and fill them in.

Where this fits

Data and graphs run through the elementary grades, starting with simple sorting and picture graphs in kindergarten and Grade 1, adding bar graphs in Grades 2 and 3, and moving on to line plots, averages and more in Grades 4 and up. You can browse everything together on the data and graphs topic page. For regular practice with instant feedback, see the practice section, and printable sets are in the free worksheets.

Frequently asked questions

What grade learns bar graphs and pictographs?

Picture graphs usually begin in kindergarten and Grade 1, with bar graphs and scaled graphs in Grades 2 and 3. Standards vary by state and country, so check your local curriculum, but the order of simple to scaled is common everywhere.

Should bars be vertical or horizontal?

Either is correct. Vertical bars are more common in early grades. Horizontal bars are handy when category names are long, since the labels have room to read left to right.

How many people should we ask?

Enough to make the graph interesting, but few enough to count without errors. For a first project, 10 to 30 responses works well. For a family, ask friends, grandparents or neighbors as well.