I feel that most elementary children are very visual learners. Charts and graphs are amazing learning tools because they communicate information visually. This is a very effective way to show the student the meaning behind the figures. If you can connect the math problem to a real life situation, the problem won't appear pointless. It helps us to understand reality. A classic example is if a student is learning about percentages, using a pie chart (or a pizza chart) will show what the percentages really mean. Do you think you can really eat 1/2 of the pizza? Or would you be full after 1/4? A chart can help tie that foreign concept of a fraction together with a real world situation. Check out this link for Brainpopjr.com for another real life situation utilizing a chart and graph. Brainpopjr.com has a fantastic age appropriate video that explains tally charts and bar graphs, and this example uses dinosaurs and a robot. I think you could grab some attention with that!
Graphs and charts are great because they communicate information visually. For this reason, graphs are often used in newspapers, magazines and businesses around the world. This learning aid doesn't stop at the elementary level.
Here is a fantastic software download for producing your own charts and graphs. Amcharts You can download and use Amcharts for free, but there will be a small icon that shows on every page to advertise and link back to the home company. A very nice tool for older grades.
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