- Definition
The mean is simply the average of a set of numbers; you find it by adding all the numbers together and then dividing by how many numbers there are.
If one friend read 2 books and another read 4, the mean is 3 books because (2 + 4) ÷ 2 = 3.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: The mean is like sharing a big pile of cookies with your friends so that everyone gets the same amount.
Ask your child: If you have 2 blocks and I have 4, how can we share them fairly?
Common mix-up: Kids may think the mean is just the middle number in a list. The mean is the number you get when you share the total amount equally among all the parts.
Examples
- A basketball player scores 10 points in one game and 12 in the next, so their mean score is 11 points.
- If you play for 20 minutes on Monday and 40 minutes on Tuesday, the mean playtime is 30 minutes.
mean is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
