Grade 6 · Mathematics
Interpreting mean, median, and mode in Grade 6
Your child calculates measures of centre and explains which one best represents a data set.
Where this sits in the year
One skill in the Grade 6 constellation
A practical map of the math skills learners build through Grade 6. Exact timing varies by curriculum.
How it's taught now
Students balance data to understand mean, order values for median, identify frequency for mode, and consider range.
Three mistakes to watch for
Finding the median before ordering the data.
Dividing the sum by the wrong number of values.
Assuming every data set has exactly one mode.
A worked example
Find the mean, median, and mode of 2, 3, 3, 4, 8.
The sum is 20 across five values; the ordered middle and most frequent value are both 3.
Answer: Mean 4, median 3, mode 3
Try this together
For 2, 3, 3, 4, and 8, which single number best describes the group, and why?
Give them a moment to talk it through. The explanation matters more than a quick answer.