Explaining Gradients and Graphs to a six year old
Simple explanation: The gradient is essentially another word for slope. The higher the gradient (slope) of a graph at a point, the steeper the line is at that point. A negative gradient means that the line slopes downwards.
Gradient of a straight-line graph
To find the gradient of a straight-line graph, pick two points on the graph. The gradient of the line is:
"Change in y-coordinate/change in x-coordinate"
"Change in y-coordinate/change in x-coordinate"