It can be challenging for kids and teens alike to keep the terms mean, median, mode and range straight. They have some similarities in the spellings (three start with ‘m’) and they are all used when working with a collection of numerical values.
I have two mnemonics for you that will help your math learner keep these four terms straight. One is a rhyme and the other is a visual cue. Hopefully one of them will help your child or teen with this math terminology.
Mean, Median, Mode and Range Mnemonics
What are the mean, median, mode, and range?
The mean is the average of all the numbers. Add up all of the numbers and divide by the number of numbers to get it.
The median is found by listing all of the numbers in numerical order and then finding the middle value.
The mode is the number that appears most often. If there are no repeated numbers, there is no mode.
The range is the difference of the greatest and smallest number. Subtract them to find it.
Here’s a mnemonic for learning these four terms that is made from a nursery rhyme:
Hey diddle diddle, the median’s the middle; you add and divide for the mean. The mode is the one that appears the most, and the range is the difference between.
And here’s a simple visual cue for these words:
MOde = MOst common
MeDian = MiDdle
meAn = Average
Range = DiffeRence
Know any mnemonics for mean, median, mode and range? Share them in the comment section.
Many blessings,
