How to explain create bar graphs in bar charts to your student: Example question
31 October 2026
Bar graphs are a simple way to show information using bars of different heights. They help children see and compare numbers quickly, making data easy to understand.
Example question
A class of 20 children were asked about their favourite fruit. 8 chose apples, 5 chose bananas, 4 chose oranges, and 3 chose grapes. Create a bar graph to show this information.
Step 1: Draw two lines to make the axes. The horizontal axis (x-axis) will have the fruit names: Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Grapes.
Step 2: Label the vertical axis (y-axis) with numbers from 0 to 10, counting by ones, to show how many children chose each fruit.
Step 3: For each fruit, draw a bar above its name. The height of each bar matches the number of children:
- Apples: 8 units high
- Bananas: 5 units high
- Oranges: 4 units high
- Grapes: 3 units high
Step 4: Make sure the bars are the same width and have small spaces between them.
Step 5: Add a title at the top: Favourite Fruits of the Class.
The bar graph now clearly shows how many children like each fruit.
Key insight: After working through this example, your child will be able to spot the key parts of a bar graph and explain what each part shows. They can now try a similar question to practise creating their own bar graph from simple data.
