Dot Plots and Histograms for Kids: Read Data Like a Pro (Grade 6 Math)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. Today we are reading dot plots and histograms. They are two pictures that show data. They help us see what numbers are common and how the data is spread out.

Here is a dot plot of points scored in a game. Each dot is one student. To find how many students scored three points, count the dots above three. There are four.

To find how many students are in the whole data set, add up every column. One plus three plus four plus two plus one is eleven. So eleven students played the game.

The mode is the value that appears most often. On a dot plot, it is the tallest stack of dots. The tallest stack is above three, so the mode is three points.

A histogram groups numbers into ranges. This one shows minutes spent reading. The bars touch, and each bar shows how many students are in that range. Three students read between zero and nine minutes.

The tallest bar shows the most common range. Six students read for ten to nineteen minutes, more than any other group. A histogram does not show each exact number, only how many are in each range.

Now it's your turn. Using the histogram, how many students read for twenty minutes or more? Pause and try. Add the last two bars. Four plus two is six students.

Great job! Remember, on a dot plot each dot is one value, and the tallest stack is the mode. On a histogram, each bar counts a range. Practice dot plots and histograms in Middle School Math at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!