You will learn
- Make tally marks.
- Group tallies in fives.
- Count a tally chart.
- Find the total.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · expert review pending Standards alignment: pending verification. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- A tally mark stands for one.
- Four lines crossed by one make five.
- Count a tally chart in fives.
- Add the counts to find the total.
Words to know
A line for one.
A table of tally marks.
Four lines crossed by a fifth.
All together.
1. Discover: counting votes
Children vote for a game. Instead of writing names, we draw a line for each vote. Why group the lines in fives?
2. Understand: tally charts
A tally chart has rows for each choice and tally marks for the votes. We draw four lines and cross them with a fifth to make a group of five.
To count: count in 5s for each group, then add the single lines. Two groups of five and 2 lines is 5 + 5 + 2 = 12. Five groups of five is 25.
Rows: 7, 5 and 8 votes make 7 + 5 + 8 = 20 votes in all.
Idea 1: Tally marks
A tally mark is a line for one. Four lines crossed by a fifth make a group of five.
Idea 2: Count the chart
Count in fives, then the lines. Two groups of five and 2 lines make 10 + 2 = 12.
Idea 3: Total
A tally chart is a table of tally marks. Add the counts: 7 + 5 + 8 = 20.
Why group? Fives are quick to count.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Make 12
Make a tally for 12.
- Two groups of five.
- Then 2 lines.
Answer: Two groups of five and 2 lines
Example 2 (We do it together): Count
Four groups of five and 3 lines. How many?
- 20 + 3.
Answer: 23
Example 3 (You try): Total
7 + 5 + 8 = ?
Show the steps and answer
- 7 + 5 = 12.
- 12 + 8 = 20.
Answer: 20
Did you know?
Tally marks are one of the oldest ways of counting. People made notches in bones to count.
Why this matters
Tally charts make counting as we go quick and easy.
4. Explore: make a tally chart
You need paper and a pencil.
- Draw a table with three choices.
- Ask 10 friends and mark tallies.
- Group tallies in fives.
- Count each row and find the total.
Think about it: what did you notice?
The row totals add to 10.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A group of five is ___.
- I count in ___ then add ___.
- The total is ___.
- I group in fives to ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Two fives and 2 lines?
5 + 5 + 2 = 12.
Question 2. Five groups of five?
25.
Question 3. 7 + 5 + 8?
20.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Tally for 7
- Tally for 12
- Count: three fives and 4
- Total of 8, 5 and 6
- Why group in fives?
Level 2: Grow
- Make a tally for 10.
- Count: 4 groups of five.
- Make a tally for 6.
Level 3: Stretch
- Total of 14, 9 and 7.
- A chart has 6 votes for red, 9 for blue and 5 for green. What is the total?
- Ben draws 5 lines in a row without crossing. Why is it hard to count?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: everyday mathematics
Votes: football 7, ludo 5, dance 8. How many children voted?
Show a sample answer
20.
Another one. Make a tally chart of 3 pets with 11, 6 and 8 votes. What is the total?
Show a sample answer
25
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Cross only after four lines.
Fix: The fifth line crosses the four.
Fix: Each group of five is 5.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can make tally marks.
- I can group tallies in fives.
- I can count a tally chart.
- I can find the total.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- One line stands for one.
- Group in fives.
- Add the rows for the total.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Picture graphs. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Make a tally for 8. [2 marks]
- Count: two groups of five and 4 lines. [2 marks]
- Add 6 + 9 + 5. [1 mark]
- Why do we group tallies in fives? [1 mark]
- Ali says three groups of five and 4 lines is 7. Is he right? Explain. [3 marks]
Total: 9 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- One group of five [1]; 3 lines [1]
- 10 [1]; 14 [1]
- 20 [1]
- To count faster [1]
- No [1]. Each group is 5, so 15 [1]. 15 + 4 = 19 [1].
Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Tally for 7
- Three fives and 4
- Four fives and 3
- Total of 8, 5 and 6
- Why group in fives?
- Four lines crossed by one = ___.
- Two groups of five and 2 lines = ___.
- Five groups of five = ___.
- 7 + 5 + 8 = ___.
- Four groups of five and 3 lines = ___.
Homework
Tally the cars and bicycles you see in 10 minutes. Total them.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Tally for 7 | ||||| || | 2 |
| Three fives and 4 | 19 | 2 |
| Four fives and 3 | 23 | 2 |
| Total of 8, 5 and 6 | 19 | 2 |
| Why group in fives? | faster to count | 2 |
| Total | 10 |
Practice answers: Worksheet: 1 ||||| ||; 2 19; 3 23; 4 19; 5 faster to count.
Quiz answers: 1 A, 2 B, 3 C, 4 A, 5 B, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 C, Challenge 2 C.
Extra worksheet answers (items 6 onward): 6 5; 7 12; 8 25; 9 20; 10 23.
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 one group of five and 2 lines; 2 two groups of five and 2 lines; 3 19; 4 19; 5 to count faster. Level 2: 1 Two groups of five; 2 20; 3 One group of five and 1 line. Level 3: 1 30; 2 20; 3 They are not grouped in fives..
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Make tally marks | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Group tallies in fives | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Count a tally chart | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Find the total | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Proposed Courseversity thresholds for this page: Bronze = at least 8 of 12 core questions correct; Silver = all 12; Gold = all 12 plus both challenge questions. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Crossing the line too early. Cross only after four lines.
- Explain another way: use real objects first, then pictures.
- Show a simpler example: Count tallies in fives on a number line.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child makes and counts tally charts. You do not need to be good at mathematics to help.
- Make a tally of cars passing your house.
- Count the tally in fives.
- Ask: how many in all?
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: make tally marks; group tallies in fives; count a tally chart; find the total.
Prerequisite knowledge. Lesson 1; counting in fives.
Materials. Counters (stones, seeds or bottle tops), paper, pencils, board or chalkboard. Low-resource options: use stones, seeds, sticks, bottle tops or drawings in the sand or on the board instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Gather the counters and draw the example pictures on the board before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Start with the Discover situation and let learners suggest ideas before you teach.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the Understand section with real objects first, then pictures, then symbols and words.
Guided activity (10 min). You need paper and a pencil. Learners follow the Explore steps in pairs.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners complete the independent practice and the worksheet.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How many groups of five? How many extra lines? What is the total?
Teacher explanation notes. Use the concrete, pictorial, abstract order: real objects first, then pictures, then symbols and words. Return to real objects whenever a learner needs support.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and work with a partner; say each step aloud together. Extension. Ask learners to make up their own example and explain it to a partner.
Formative assessment. Listen to learner explanations, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Crossing the line too early. Cross only after four lines.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz and worksheet on this page. The 9-mark exam practice scheme, the 10-mark scheme and all answers are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer and the marking scheme before publication.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Count tallies in fives on a number line. Enrichment. Invite learners to find or create three more examples at home or in the classroom and explain them. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which concepts learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
Alignment is pending verification and no external endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points named in the Courseversity standard: Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Specific standard codes will be added once checked against the official documents.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core 2.MD.D.10 (tally and data); Cambridge Primary Mathematics Stage 2 (data). These sources informed the lesson; no official alignment is claimed.