Make a Table Strategy

For Elementary Students

What is the Make-a-Table Strategy?

Making a table means organizing information into rows and columns so you can see patterns and find answers.

Think about it like this: Tables are like filing cabinets — they help you organize messy information so you can find what you need!

When to Use a Table

Use this strategy when:

• The problem has lots of information to keep track of
• You need to organize data
• You're looking for a pattern
• You need to compare different things

How to Make a Table

Step 1: Figure out what categories you need (these will be your column labels)

Step 2: Draw the table with rows and columns

Step 3: Fill in the information from the problem

Step 4: Use the table to find the answer

Example 1: Organizing Information

Problem: "Sarah saved $5 in Week 1, $7 in Week 2, and $6 in Week 3. How much did she save total?"

Make a table:

Now you can easily add: $5 + $7 + $6 = $18

Answer: Sarah saved $18 total.

Example 2: Finding a Pattern

Problem: "Tickets cost $3 each. How much for 5 tickets?"

Make a table to see the pattern:

Pattern: Each ticket costs $3, so multiply: 5 × $3 = $15

Answer: 5 tickets cost $15.

Example 3: Comparing Options

Problem: "Movie Theater A charges $8 per ticket. Theater B charges $6 per ticket. Which is cheaper for 3 people?"

Make a table:

Answer: Theater B is cheaper ($18 vs $24).

For Junior High Students

Why Tables Are Powerful

Tables help you:

See relationships between numbers

Spot patterns quickly

Organize complex information

Make calculations step by step

Compare different scenarios

Multi-Variable Tables

Some problems have multiple factors to track.

Problem: "A store sells small t-shirts for $10 and large t-shirts for $15. If you buy 2 small and 3 large, how much total?"

Make a table:

Answer: $65 total.

Using Tables to Find Patterns

Problem: "A bacteria colony doubles every hour. It starts with 5 bacteria. How many after 4 hours?"

Make a table:

Pattern: Doubling each time (multiply by 2)

Answer: 80 bacteria after 4 hours.

T-Tables for Functions

T-tables (input-output tables) show how one number relates to another.

Problem: "A rule is 'multiply by 3, then add 2.' What's the output for input 5?"

Make a T-table:

Answer: Output is 17 when input is 5.

Using Tables to Solve Multi-Step Problems

Problem: "Lily earns $8 per hour. She works 3 hours on Monday, 5 hours on Tuesday, and 2 hours on Wednesday. How much did she earn total?"

Make a table:

Answer: Lily earned $80 total.

Systematic Problem Solving

Tables help when you need to try different combinations.

Problem: "You have $20. Apples cost $2 and oranges cost $3. What are all the ways to spend exactly $20?"

Make a table to try combinations:

Answer: There are 4 ways to spend exactly $20.

Extending Tables

Sometimes you need to extend a table to find a pattern.

Problem: "A sequence starts: 2, 5, 8, 11... What's the 10th number?"

Make a table:

Pattern: Add 3 each time

Formula: 2 + (position - 1) × 3

For position 10: 2 + 9 × 3 = 2 + 27 = 29

Answer: The 10th number is 29.

Real-World Uses

Budgeting: Track income and expenses

Scheduling: Organize time and activities

Science: Record experiment data

Business: Compare costs and profits

Sports: Track scores, statistics

Practice