How to explain fruit shop prices in reading tables to your child
27 October 2026
Reading tables in a fruit shop can seem tricky at first, but with a clear example, your child can learn to spot prices and add them up. This step-by-step question shows how to find out the total cost when buying different items from a price list.
Worked example
A fruit shop table shows: apples cost 2 coins for a bag of 4, tomatoes cost 3 coins for a box of 6, bread costs 4 coins for one loaf, and carrots cost 1 coin for a bag.
Ben wants to buy 1 loaf of bread, 1 box of tomatoes, and 1 bag of apples. How many coins will he spend in total?
Step 1: Find the price of bread. Bread costs 4 coins.
Step 2: Find the price of tomatoes. Tomatoes cost 3 coins.
Step 3: Find the price of apples. Apples cost 2 coins.
Step 4: Add the prices together. 4 + 3 + 2 = 9 coins.
Answer: Ben will spend 9 coins in total.
| Item | Price (coins) |
|---|---|
| Apples (bag of 4) | 2 |
| Tomatoes (box of 6) | 3 |
| Bread (1 loaf) | 4 |
| Carrots (bag) | 1 |
After working through this example, your child will recognise how to use a table to find out what each item costs and add the prices together. The same type of question is ready for your child to practise, helping them feel confident with fruit shop prices in reading tables.
