Definition
Tally chart
A tally chart records each observation in a category row with tally marks, usually grouped in fives.
| Game | Tally | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Tag | ||||/| | 6 |
| Skipping | ||| | 3 |
| Hoops | ||||/ | 5 |
What it means
Choose the row that matches what you observed, then add exactly one tally there. Keep doing this one item at a time. When collection is finished, count each row’s bundles of five and extra marks to find the total for that category.
Remember it
One observation, one matching row, one new mark.
Example
Nine children choose a playground game. Six choose tag, so the Tag row gets one bundle of five plus one extra mark. Three choose skipping, so the Skipping row gets three marks. The row frequencies are 6 and 3.
Watch for
A table that shows only final numbers and no tally marks is a frequency table, not a tally chart.
Common mix-up
The crossing stroke is the fifth tally in its bundle, so one bundle plus two extra marks means 7.
Exact meaning
A tally chart is a table with category rows in which each observed item adds one tally mark to its matching category. The tallies show each category’s frequency and are usually grouped in fives for quick counting.