How to read a table or graph question
Reading questions are not always about stories. Children are also asked about tables, bar charts and other data. These questions are quite mechanical, which makes them a good way to build confidence if your child follows the same steps each time.
Step one: read the title and labels
Before looking at any numbers, find what the table or chart is about. Read the title, the column headings or axis labels, and the units, such as centimetres, minutes or number of children.
Step two: read the question twice
Underline what is being asked. Is it one value, a comparison, a total, a difference or a trend? Many wrong answers come from answering a slightly different question, such as giving the total when the difference was asked.
Step three: find the right row or bar
Use a finger or a ruler to follow the row across or the bar up to the number. Check you are in the right row and the right column before you read the value.
Step four: do the maths and check it
If the question asks for a total, difference or comparison, write the calculation. Then ask whether the answer makes sense next to the data. If one bar is much taller than another, the biggest value should match it.
Watch for common traps
- Reading the wrong row or column.
- Ignoring the units, for example reading minutes as hours.
- Scales that do not start at zero or count in twos or fives.
- Answering with the label instead of the value, or the other way round.
Practise with real things
Sports tables, weather charts, bus timetables and recipe quantities are all data. Ask a question about one each day, such as which day had the most rain, and have your child explain how they found it.
Where it shows up in LiteracyLab AI
Reading practice includes passages that are a data table or a bar chart, so students answer questions about data as well as stories and articles.
Common questions
Why do children find graph questions hard?
Often because they rush to the numbers and skip the title, labels and units, which is where the meaning is.
What if my child is not confident with maths?
These questions mostly need careful reading and simple arithmetic. Practising the steps builds confidence.
Get feedback on your child's writing
LiteracyLab AI reads a child's own writing and gives specific feedback: what worked, one thing to try next, and a corrected version, matched to their year and curriculum. The Free plan includes 3 pieces a month and needs no card.