Coordinates for Kids: Plotting Points on a Grid (Grade 5 Math)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. Today we are finding points on a coordinate grid. Coordinates are a pair of numbers that tell you exactly where a point is, like an address on a map.

Here is a grid. The line along the bottom is called the x axis. It counts across from zero to five, just like a number line lying flat on the ground.

The line going up the side is called the y axis. It counts up from zero to five. The two axes meet at zero, at a special starting point called the origin.

To plot the point three, four, always go across first, then up. Start at the origin. Walk along the x axis to three. Then climb up four. Draw a dot. That is the point three, four.

The order really matters. Three, four is not the same as four, three. Four, three means across four and up three, which is a different spot. A trick to remember: walk along the hall, then up the stairs.

Now it's your turn. Look at the new yellow dot. What are its coordinates? Pause and try. Count across first: five. Then count up: two. The coordinates are five, two.

Great job! Remember, coordinates are written across first, then up. Start at the origin, move along the x axis, then up the y axis. Practice coordinates in the Math Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!