Research School Network: Making Maths Memorable A five step approach to using maths storybooks to improve outcomes in Reception.

Sarah Stock, Director of Newcastle Research School, shares a five step approach to using maths storybooks to improve outcomes in Reception.

Storybooks matter in maths

The latest data from the Education Policy Institute highlights that disadvantaged children are leaving Reception academically behind their peers as a number of children are not gaining a ​‘Good Level of Development’ and are not ready to access the Year 1 curriculum. The gap in 2023 has increased to 4.6 months and has grown in recent years. This is particularly evident within mathematical knowledge and as a result, pupils are leaving Reception without the early mathematical skills they need for later success. Research, such as Jordan et al. (2022) suggests that early number sense predicts later mathematical achievement.

Exploring the evidence

There is research that recommends approaches that have potential to improve outcomes in maths. The Early Years EEF Toolkit highlights that early numeracy approaches can impact on progress of up to +7 months. These effective early numeracy approaches balance guided interaction with both direct teaching and child-led activities.

EEF Early Years Toolkit

Recommendation 2 in the EEF’s Guidance Report ​‘Improving Mathematics in Early Years and Key Stage 1’ highlights that using storybooks to teach mathematics can be particularly effective, through providing an opportunity for mathematical talk and questioning. Maths storybooks are an opportunity to not only build on early language skills but also impact positively on children’s early mathematical development. 

EEF Improving Mathematics in Early Years and Key Stage One

To use maths storybooks effectively, careful planning is also needed in order to maximise the impact on children’s mathematical outcomes. Further guidance is beneficial for teachers so that they select texts which support the mathematics being taught.

NEAT Academy Trust has developed an approach of using maths storybooks to impact on learning across Reception. This approach uses a maths storybook as a stimulus for direct teaching followed by child-led activities. This approach is underpinned by the communication and language, early literacy and early numeracy approaches published on the EEF’s Early Years Toolkit.

EEF Early Years Toolkit

The teachers follow a 5‑step approach to using maths storybooks. 

Reflections

Teachers across the trust fed back the power of using a storybook and explained that the story gave a real purpose to the activities. They felt the modelling of the activity with the children prior to it being available within the setting supported confidence, opportunities to revisit as well as some children being the expert with other pupils from the class.

In addition, across the trust they observed that that the use of maths storybooks effectively supported children to acquire knowledge of key early mathematical concepts in a memorable and enjoyable way.

Further reading

Jordan, N.C, Devlin, B.L and Botello, M. (2022) Core foundations of early mathematics: Refining the number sense framework.