Discrete or continuous data?: what children learn
Year 4 pupils learn to interpret and present discrete and continuous data using appropriate graphs. Choosing the right graph starts with knowing which kind of data you have.
In this game children sort data sets into discrete and continuous. Discrete data is counted in whole numbers, like goals in a match. Continuous data is measured and can take any value in a range, like a child's height.
This topic covers the Year 4 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Statistics): pupils should be taught to “interpret and present discrete and continuous data using appropriate graphical methods, including bar charts and time graphs”. Year 4 pupils are usually aged 8–9.
There is no direct equivalent in the US Common Core State Standards. Common Core does not name discrete and continuous data; it links to measurement data in 4.MD.B.4.
How to play
Sort the cards into the right groups. Tap a card, then its group. You can also drag a card, or press the number on its group. Each game has 3 rounds with no timer. Every card is checked as soon as you place it: a card in the wrong group comes back with a hint, and you get a point for each card you place right first time. For a quicker go, choose Quick quiz: 10 multiple-choice questions in 150 seconds (choose Relaxed for more time).
Step by step
- Ask: counted or measured?. If you count it, it is discrete. If you measure it with a ruler, scales, a clock or a thermometer, it is continuous.
- Try a value in between. Can there be 2 and a half children in a class? No, so it is discrete. Can a worm be 6.5 cm long? Yes, so it is continuous.
- Discrete data: bar charts. Bar charts with gaps between bars suit counted data.
- Continuous data: line graphs. Line graphs and time graphs suit measured data that changes smoothly.
Worked examples
Example 1: The number of goals scored in each match
Working: Goals are counted. You cannot score half a goal.
Answer: Discrete
Example 2: The mass of each pumpkin
Working: Mass is measured with scales and can be any value, such as 3.7 kg.
Answer: Continuous
Example 3: The temperature every hour
Working: Temperature is measured and changes smoothly between readings.
Answer: Continuous
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Thinking any data with numbers is continuous. Ask whether a value in between makes sense. Counted things jump from one whole number to the next.
- Calling time 'discrete' because clocks show whole minutes. Time keeps flowing between the minutes, so it is continuous.
- Calling 'how much rain fell' discrete because it is a number of millimetres. Rainfall is measured, so it can be 3.2 mm. It is continuous.
Activities to try at home
- Sort things around the house: things you count (spoons) and things you measure (water in a jug).
- Ask whether the number of steps you walk is discrete or continuous, and how about the distance.
- Find a chart in the news and decide which kind of data it shows.
Ideas for the classroom
- Pupils collect one discrete and one continuous data set about the class and pick a graph for each.
- Play 'counted or measured?' with quick-fire examples.
- Show a line graph of goals per match and ask why it is not a sensible choice.
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 does the type of data matter?
It decides which graph makes sense. Joining points with a line only makes sense if there are values between the readings.
Is this vocabulary used in Year 4?
The National Curriculum names discrete and continuous data in Year 4. Many schools introduce the words then, using everyday examples.
Can it be played with a keyboard?
Yes. Tab to a card, press Enter to pick it up, then choose the group it belongs in.