- Definition
Probability is a way to measure how likely something is to happen, shown as a number between 0 (impossible) and 1 (certain).
If a spinner has 4 equal sections and 1 is blue, the probability of landing on blue is 1/4.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Probability is like the chance of landing on red when you spin the spinner in a board game.
Ask your child: If this bag has more blue blocks than red, which are you more likely to pull out?
Common mix-up: Kids may think probability is a guarantee. Probability describes how likely something is over many tries, not what will happen on the next try.
Examples
- The probability of rolling a 3 on a standard six-sided die is 1/6.
- The probability of picking a green block from a bag full of only green blocks is 1.
probability 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 ↗
