Tally notation represents each counted item with one mark, organizing counts into groups of five by crossing the fifth mark through the preceding four, with any remaining marks shown separately. The learner can record, read, and compare frequencies in tally charts, determine totals by combining groups of five and individual marks, and connect tallies to numerical tables and graphs; tallies do not represent the measured value or category itself.
Each tally mark stands for one item counted. Make marks one at a time:
||||||||/Example: Students choose their favorite fruit. The choices are:
Apple, Banana, Apple, Orange, Apple, Banana, Orange, Apple, Apple, Orange, Apple, Banana, Apple, Banana
Record the choices in a tally chart.
| Fruit | Tally marks | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Apples | ` | |
| Bananas | ` | |
| Oranges | ` |
Step 1: Count the apples.
There is one group of five and two extra marks:
So, there are apples.
Step 2: Count the bananas.
There are four marks:
So, there are bananas.
Step 3: Count the oranges.
There is one group of five:
So, there are oranges.
The tally marks show how many students chose each fruit. The word “Apples,” “Bananas,” or “Oranges” names the category; the tally marks do not represent the fruit itself.
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