- Definition
The "mode" is simply the number that shows up most often in a list of numbers.
If four friends have 2, 4, 4, and 5 toys, the mode is 4 because it's the number that appears most.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: The mode is like voting for a game to play, and the game that gets the most votes is the mode.
Ask your child: Of all these crayons, which colour do you see the most?
Common mix-up: Kids may think the mode is the biggest number in the group. The mode is just the number that appears most often, even if it's a small number.
Examples
- If five kids vote for their favorite colour and the votes are red, blue, blue, green, blue, the mode is blue.
- Looking at a handful of coloured candies, if there are more red ones than any other colour, red is the mode.
mode is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
- Grade 2 Mathematics
- Grade 3 Mathematics
- Grade 4 Mathematics
- Grade 5 Mathematics
- Grade 5 Social Studies / History / Geography
+2 more mentions across the curriculum
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 ↗
