Developing: Collecting Data (Counting)

Vocabulary

count

how many?

which group?

most

least

most popular

most common

 

 

 

Hints and Tips

There are 3 main stages your child needs to understand when handling data.

Collecting

Recording

Interpreting

All of these skills should be included in any activities you do with data. Your expectations in each area should be appropriate to the ability of your child.

For example, the collecting and recording are done by putting the counters in the box.

While this is a collecting data activity, it is mainly about deciding on criteria, what information (data) to collect and then counting how many.

There is no need for your child to do any recording in this activity, as that will come in a later level.

Essential Prior Knowledge

To be able to count to 100 competently.(Remember support may be needed between 10 and 20 at this stage).

Activity

Decide with your child what information (data) you are going to collect.

It could be to do with vehicles coming down the street; the kind of clothes in the washing, the colour of cars in the toy box for example.

This always works better for your child if it is something he/she is interested in.

If you are working on colours with your child or shapes then go for a walk and keep a check on which ones you see.

Have a number of objects for counters, buttons or pegs for example, and a box or small bag for each item you want to count. Label each box/bag with a picture and the name of each item you are counting.

Each time your child sees one of the categories he/she puts a counter in the relevant box.

You can prompt your child as to the correct box, as this activity is about the data collection not necessarily about being able to read labels.

When you get to a safe place, count the counters in each box separately. Offer support while counting, if needed. This will be particularly for the numbers between 10 and 20, as these have not yet been studied.

Keep the counters, or whatever you have used to count, in the boxes or bags to use for the next activity. 

Remember to ask questions about the data your child has collected.

Put the boxes in order with the most or least first and discuss your findings.

Which was the most common/popular? How do we know? etc

Keep the counters in the relevant boxes to use for the next activity. Orange: Developing: Recording Data

This is the start of the skill of interpreting data.