Counting tally marks: what children learn
Year 2 pupils use tally charts to record data. Tally marks are drawn in groups of five: four upright marks with a fifth drawn across them, sometimes called a gate.
In this game each card describes a tally, such as two gates of five and three single marks, and children match it to its total. Counting the gates in 5s first and then the single marks is quicker and more reliable than counting every mark.
This topic covers the Year 2 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Statistics): pupils should be taught to “interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and tables”. Year 2 pupils are usually aged 6–7.
For families following US standards, the closest Common Core standard is 2.MD.D.10, which is taught in Grade 2.
How to play
Pick a card on the left, then the card on the right that matches it. Each game has 6 pairs. Wrong matches are counted as mistakes, and you get three stars for a game with no mistakes.
Step by step
- Find the gates. Each gate is a group of five marks: four upright and one across.
- Count gates in 5s. Two gates is 5, 10. Three gates is 5, 10, 15.
- Count on the single marks. After the gates, count on in 1s: 15, 16, 17.
- Check the total. A tally of 20 is four gates and nothing else. Use this to check bigger totals.
Worked examples
Example 1: Tally: 1 gate of five and 3 single marks
Working: 5, then 6, 7, 8.
Answer: 8
Example 2: Tally: 3 gates of five and 1 single mark
Working: 5, 10, 15, then 16.
Answer: 16
Example 3: Tally: 4 gates of five and 2 single marks
Working: 5, 10, 15, 20, then 21, 22.
Answer: 22
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Counting a gate as 4 because only four marks stand up. Draw a gate slowly and count each mark aloud, including the one that crosses.
- Drawing a fifth upright mark instead of crossing the four. Practise drawing tallies to 10 so the crossing mark becomes a habit.
- Losing count of long rows of single marks. Group marks into fives before counting.
Activities to try at home
- Keep a tally of how many times someone says a chosen word at dinner.
- Tally the colours of cars on a short walk, then count the totals together.
- Draw a tally for each family member's age and compare.
Ideas for the classroom
- Pupils tally birds seen from the window during one lesson.
- Show a tally on the board for three seconds and ask pupils to write the total.
- Give a jumbled set of single marks and ask pupils to redraw them as gates.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a colour-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
Why are tally marks grouped in fives?
Groups of five can be counted in 5s, which is faster and makes mistakes easier to spot.
Do children need to draw tallies as well as read them?
Yes. Year 2 pupils construct tally charts as well as reading them. Drawing them helps children understand the groups of five.
Can it be played with a keyboard?
Yes. Tab to a card, press Enter to pick it, then pick its partner.