Roberts, Kathryn L., Rebecca R. Norman, Nell K. Duke, Paul Morsink, Nicole M. Martin, and Jennifer A. Knight. 2013. “Diagrams, Timelines, and Tables-Oh, My! Fostering Graphical Literacy.” The Reading Teacher 67 (1): 12–24. doi:10.1002/TRTR.1174.

Argues that young children need to be able to understand graphics found in informational texts and points out that the Common Core makes references to graphical literacy. Compares graphical literacy to reading literacy by explaining how graphical literacy requires an ability to know what graphs are and “how they work”. Defines several “concepts of graphics” and explores at what ages kids demonstrate an understanding of each concept. Concepts of graphics include: “action, extension, importance, intentionality, partiality, permanence, relevance, and representation”. Suggests that teachers encourage graphical literacy using similar techniques to teaching general literacy, such as thinking out loud. Details a research project where they showed graphics to students and asked them to explain what they could know from looking at the graphic. Researchers note that some kids could understand a lot and interpret a lot from a graphic, but that most kids do not understand important concepts of graphics.

English, Lyn. 2012. “Data Modelling with First-Grade Students.” Educational Studies in Mathematics 81 (1): 15–30. doi:10.1007/s10649-011-9377-3.

Author Lyn English reports one year into a three year study on how first grade children model data. English argues that there is a need for research exploring the ways young children demonstrate statistical reasoning. Emphasizes using statistical reasoning to answer questions of interest in the classroom. Uses storytelling to explore math problems and activities. Describes aligning lessons with teachers and the students’ curriculum. Details a quasi experimental study where children use post-its to represent and organize data collected on the types of trash and recycling in a storybook, and where children describe their reasons for organizing them in certain ways. Finds that children are able to articulate what information is important to include when representing data.

Friel, S. N., F. R. Curcio, and G. W. Bright. 2001. “Making Sense of Graphs: Critical Factors Influencing Comprehension and Instructional Implications.” Journal for Research in Mathematics Education 32 (2): 124–58. doi:10.2307/749671.

Authors Friel, Curcio, and Bright (faculty at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Queens College of the City University of New York, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro respectively), argues for teaching graph comprehension and proposes the term “graph sense” to describe the ability to interpret and apply concepts from graphs. Provides a history of guidelines and research about creating graphical displays. Claims educators focus on having kids create graphs, but that it is important to teach why we use graphs. Suggests how to teach graph comprehension at the K-8 grades. Students demonstrate graph comprehension across three abilities: extracting information, interpreting information, and extrapolating or interpolating patterns from graphs. Shares guidelines about what skills kids can do and understand at each age/grade. During grades K-2 emphasis is on tallying frequencies.

Related Research and Readings

• Curcio, Frances, and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 2010. Developing Data Graph Comprehension. Third Edition. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
• Curcio, Frances R. 1987. “Comprehension of Mathematical Relationships Expressed in Graphs.” Journal for Research in Mathematics Education 18 (5): 382–93.