Using picture books that have a numeracy focus provide the perfect opportunity to introduce mathematical concepts to our young children. Set our children up for a smarter start at maths!

1. T O I N T R O D U C E MATHS T O L I T T L E P E O P L E
BOOKS to READ
www.mybusyday.com.au

2.  Maths is all around us and in lots of our picture books
as well!
 Using picture books is an engaging and non-
threatening way of introducing our children to
different math concepts.
 Picture books can tell an intriguing story as well as
adding something more -mathematically more – a
way of building the language of maths.
 Our children are using many maths concepts from
early in their lives; a picture book will give them the
language they need to hear and understand.
 Making connections and links with rhymes and songs
and books helps to ensure a smarter start to
understanding patterns, number sense, size, shape,
time, quantities, estimating, probability and problem
solving.
 Be HOT- use the Hands On Together activity to boost
the learning.
There’s no
need to wait
wait until our
children start
school before
we introduce
some
mathematical
concepts!
Open the door to the marvellous world of maths!

3. COUNTING
A board book to read aloud over
and over again while learning
to count to 10 with the dinosaurs.
Such a fun read in the twisty
branches of the Nickle Nackle
tree!
HANDS ON TOGETHER! Count the stairs out loud as you go up and down.

4. ADDING & SUBTRACTING
 How many cats are
looking for rats? Lift the
flap, pull the tab to find
out!
 Pete the Cat is losing his
groovy buttons. Is he
worried?
HANDS ON TOGETHER! Using empty ce-cream container, have your child clip pegs
around the top while adding each peg & subtract while taking each peg away.

5. MULTIPLYING & DIVIDING
The doorbell rings and friends
arrive just when its time to
share the cookies. The children
need to work out how many
cookies everyone gets to eat.
HANDS ON TOGETHER! Using a cupcake pan, have your child add 1 object into
each space to see the arrays. Then share the objects out.
Join Amanda Bean as she starts to
understand multiplication after her
amazing dream.

6. SHAPE
 On the morning of Tim’s birthday, he
gets a mysterious letter that takes
him on an adventure into the world
of shapes.
 What shape is love?
Share this delightful story and you
will find out.
HANDS ON TOGETHER! Lie on your bed/on the grass and find all the shapes you can see.

7. DAYS of the WEEK
A newly hatched caterpillar
eats his way through all kinds
of food. This is a well loved story.
Great for understanding sequences
Cookie the cat gets up to
all kinds of trouble over
the week.
HANDS ON TOGETHER! Write down the days of the week and an activity for each day.

8. MEASUREMENT & WEIGHT & BALANCE
The boat sinks after too many
animals try to balance their weight.
Little Pipkin, the smallest penguin
is always asking very big questions.
HANDS ON TOGETHER! Using an empty ice-cream container in the bath, see how many animals can fit in before it sinks.

9. SPATIAL RELATIONS
Rosie goes for a walk and right
behind her is the hungry fox.
Rosie takes him on an obstacle
course and tricks him.
Plants, food and gardening
butterflies and ants- up and
down and all around!
HANDS ON TOGETHER! Make an obstacle course. Go up, around, under, over…..

10. TIME
Over time, this bad tempered
ladybird picks on all kinds of
different sized animals.
A great explanation of time-
a second is time enough to
turn around, a week is 7 sleeps.
HANDS ON TOGETHER! Take a sheet of paper and make a timetable of your child’s day.

11. FRACTIONS
Kangaroo and friends make
teams to have a sports day
with swimming, tug of war
and canoeing.
A rhyming book where you
will meet some great characters
who love eating dessert in the
middle of the night.
HANDS ON TOGETHER! Make a pizza and cut it up into fractions.. Yum, yum!

12. It’s never too early to start understanding maths.
 My Busy Day hopes you have enjoyed our favourite
books to help develop an understanding of maths
concepts.
 These books also make great gifts when you are looking
to buy that something special that will be treasured and
shared time and time again.
 My Busy Day always buys their books from Booktopia,
Australia’s best online bookstore.
You can order your books by clicking on Booktopia at
www.mybusyday.com.au