Making a Tally Chart to Record What You Counted

Here is where this shows up in real life. Scorekeepers, bird watchers, and shopkeepers all use tallies for the same reason: counting while things move. This is worth learning because tallies let you count things that will not hold still.

Watch for it today, and when you spot it, tell someone what you noticed and how you knew. Ask yourself where else the same idea might be hiding, then go and look.

Get your eyes and your fingers ready. Tally marks record counts as you go. Draw one line for each item, and on the fifth item draw a line across the four to make a bundle of five.

Bundles of five are easy to count later: five, ten, fifteen, and then the leftovers. Tallies are useful when things are moving, like counting cars passing, because you never have to stop and recount from the beginning.

Watch out for the fifth mark. Some people draw five straight lines and then a sixth across, which makes bundles of six and ruins the count. The fifth mark is the one that goes across the other four. You will use this idea again and again, so build it strong today.