The definition of table has not been introduced in Brazilian textbooks for the early years of elementary school. We see that charts and databases have been named but tables are not approached in the same way. This makes it impossible for students to differentiate between them, which may cause learning difficulties. Therefore, it is essential that we reflect on students' knowledge about a table, which is an instrument that systematizes information so that they can visualize reality. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the knowledge students from the 1st to 5th grade of elementary school have about representations in tables. To this end, 325 students (6 to 10 years old from 19 classes from different public schools in Greater Recife) participated. Students were asked to answer six activities individually, four of interpretation of a single and a double entry table with qualitative and quantitative variables, and two activities involving the construction of a table from a database or set of figures that needed to be classified. The results show that students' performance progresses in all activities, and that they present better performance in table interpretation than in table construction. Since the 1st grade the students were able to construct tables with one variable; however, to construct a table with two variables proved to be very difficult even for the 5th graders. In all grades the students had difficulties in making decisions based on the data presented and understanding the function of table representations. This may be due to the absence of teaching practices that focus on the table as a learning object.