- Definition
The range is simply the difference between the biggest and smallest numbers in a group of data. For example, if the tallest child is 5 feet and the shortest is 3 feet, the range in height is 2 feet.
If your jump rope scores were 10, 4, and 15 jumps, the range is 11 jumps (15 – 4).
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: The range is like finding the difference between the person who did the most jumping jacks and the person who did the fewest.
Ask your child: What's the stretch from the lowest score to the highest?
Common mix-up: Kids might just point to the highest score and call that the range. The range is the difference you get when you subtract the lowest score from the highest one.
Examples
- The number of jumping jacks your friends do are 8, 12, and 15; the range is 7 (15 - 8).
- If it takes three kids 10 seconds, 14 seconds, and 18 seconds to run a race, the range is 8 seconds.
range is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
- Grade 2 The Arts
- Grade 4 The Arts
- Grade 6 The Arts
- Grade 7 The Arts
- Grade 8 The Arts
- Grade 6 Mathematics
- Grade 3 Health and Physical Education
+9 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 ↗
