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Measurement · Grade 2

Reading Whole-Number Line Plot Worksheets

Read the length below a stack and count its marks separately. One mark represents one measurement.

4 problemsAnswer key includedFree printableA4 & US Letter
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One mark records one measurement

Each × stands for one measured length. The number beneath a stack tells you the length, while the number of marks in the stack tells you how many measurements had that length. These are different quantities.

Three marks above 2 mean three measurements of length 2 units.

They do not mean two measurements or a length of three units. Point to the bottom number to read the length, then count the marks to read its frequency.

Find how many measurements there are

Count every × once across all four stacks. If the stacks contain two, one, three, and two marks, there are 2 + 1 + 3 + 2 = 8 measurements. Do not add the bottom labels 1 + 2 + 3 + 4; those labels name the possible lengths.

Read the smallest shown value

The smallest length shown in these plots is 1 unit. Find the stack above 1 and count only its marks. A short stack is not necessarily the smallest length: its height shows frequency, not length.

If the child chooses the shortest stack: cover the stacks briefly and read the labels from left to right. Find the smallest length label, uncover its stack, and count its marks.

Use a careful counting path

Count one stack from bottom to top, then move to the next stack. The × symbol is one mark, even though two strokes cross. Touching both strokes and counting twice would overcount the data.

Explain the answer with a unit

For a question asking how many measurements there are, say “eight measurements,” not “eight length units.” Finding the total of all measured lengths would be a different question; it is not asked on this sheet.

About these four questions

Each sheet has two total-count questions and two questions about the frequency of the smallest shown length. Values are 1, 2, 3, and 4 units, with one through three marks at each value. Every value appears at least once.

The original plots do not specify centimeters or inches, so the label says “Length in units.” This activity reads existing plots. It does not ask children to measure objects, create a plot, read missing values, or add all the measured lengths.

Make a practice set

Choose what to print. Selecting both shows the answer key on screen and prints the questions followed by the answers.

Print materials

After the practice

Ask the child to explain the difference between a length label and the number of marks above it.

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Grade 2 selected skill connection: 2.MD.D.9. See the Common Core grade guidance. This worksheet does not cover every requirement in the standard.