Figures | International Literacy Association

Figures/Tables

Is it a figure or a table?

APA 6th, p.125

"Tables usually show numerical values or textual information arranged in columns and rows. A figure may be a chart, a graph, a photograph, a drawing, or any other illustration or nontextual depiction."

Whether it's a figure or a table depends primarily on one thing: author intent. Is it data for the reader to take away from the text, or is it an illustration to enhance a reader's understanding of the text? Data = table; illustration = figure. But here's where it gets tricky: Data are not always numbers, and illustrations are not always photographs/scans/drawings/charts. You must understand the author's intent in providing the element in order to determine whether it's data (a table) or an illustration (a figure). Therefore, always begin your assessment of the element by carefully reviewing the text callout. Consider the following examples.

We are often asked how many books are needed for a good classroom library. Table 6 illustrates there is no readily agreed upon formula for an adequate number of books in a classroom library.

Table 6. Recommendations for Number of Books in Classroom Libraries

Number of Books per Student	Total Collection Size
7 (ILA, 1999) 8 (Fractor et al., 1993) 10–12 (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2007)	200–1,000 plus (Routman, 2003) 300–600 (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001) 700–750 for all primary grades and 400 for upper grades (Allington & Cunningham, 2007) 1,500–2,000 (Reutzel & Fawson, 2002)

A table presents data in columns and rows, although the data is not always numerical (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Sample Table Presenting Numerical and Textual Information

Number of Books per Student	Total Collection Size
7 (ILA, 1999) 8 (Fractor et al., 1993) 10–12 (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2007)	200–1,000 plus (Routman, 2003) 300–600 (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001) 700–750 for all primary grades and 400 for upper grades (Allington & Cunningham, 2007) 1,500–2,000 (Reutzel & Fawson, 2002)

Note that the same information is presented first as a table then as a figure, depending on the author's intent per the text callout. In the first example, the reader is being supplied with data to take away from the text, while in the second example, the reader is being provided with an "illustration" of what a table is—in this case, it isn't the information in the columns and rows that the reader needs but rather a visual that is important for the reader's understanding of the text.

Common word-based tables in ILA publications include lists (e.g., recommended resources, procedures). These often provide descriptive rather than comparative information in a one-column, one-row format.

Reading text sets (see Table 4 for resources on text sets) on a particular topic can help students understand that texts are never neutral and that they are constructed by particular people with particular goals and motivations.

Table 4. Resources to Learn More About Text Sets

Harste, J.C., Leland, C., Lewison, M., Ociepka, A., & Vasquez, V. (2000). Supporting critical conversations in classrooms. In K.M. Pierce (Ed.), Adventuring with books: A booklist for pre-K–grade 6 (12th ed., pp. 507–512). Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Leland, C., Harste, J.C., Ociepka, A., Lewison, M., & Vasquez, V. (1999). Exploring critical literacy: You can hear a pin drop. Language Arts, 77(1), 70–77.

Short, K.G., Harste, J.C., & Burke, C.L. (1996). Creating classrooms for authors and inquirers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Text-based figures in ILA publications can be just as confusing for editors as text-based tables. Examples include sample worksheets or rubrics that a teacher uses in the classroom. This gets confusing when, instead of providing us with a scanned sheet as an illustration, the author provides us with the text arranged in rows and columns, making us question whether it's really a figure or a table. Again, look at author intent. Is it data for the reader or a visual to enhance the reader's understanding of text? Consider the following examples.

Session 2 involves revisiting the book for a second time, this time focusing on discussing the storyline of the book as represented by the illustrations. During this session, Lee had the children work with a partner to fill out a response prompt sheet (see Figure 9).

Figure 9. Response Prompt Sheet

Why do you think people should or should not read White Wash?	What questions do you have about this story?
What surprised you about this book?	Write one or two writing topics from your own life that connect with this story.
Write one or two statements from someone whose perspective is represented in this book.	Write one or two statements from someone whose perspective is not represented in the book.

Figure 9. Completed Response Prompt Sheet

Why do you think people should or should not read White Wash?

It shows that there are some people that do some really bad things.
You should read it because it teaches you to stick up for others. It has kid power in it!

What questions do you have about this story?

If the girl were white, would the Hawks be mean to her?
Why did she stay in her room for so long?

What surprised you about this book?

That the bad people would paint her face white.
I was surprised that they let go of the brother first.
Everything!

Write one or two writing topics from your own life that connect with this story.

My brother is always mean to me and beats me up.
When I got stitches on my chin, I looked like I had a beard. I had to go to school like that.
Being mad

But, change the author intent, text callout, and presentation of the same information just a bit, and we have a table.

Lee had the children work with a partner to fill out a response prompt sheet; student responses show great variation in comprehension levels (see Table 1).

Table 1. Response Prompt Results

Prompt	Student Responses
Why do you think people should or should not read White Wash?	It shows that there are some people that do some really bad things. You should read it because it teaches you to stick up for others. It has kid power in it!
What questions do you have about this story?	If the girl were white, would the Hawks be mean to her? Why did she stay in her room for so long?
What surprised you about this book?	That the bad people would paint her face white. I was surprised that they let go of the brother first. Everything!
Write one or two writing topics from your own life that connect with this story.	My brother is always mean to me and beats me up. When I got stitches on my chin, I looked like I had a beard. I had to go to school like that. Being mad

Note that in reprints, we run figures/tables as originally labeled, regardless of whether the labeling is correct.

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