Big Rain Coming by Katrina Germein is a beautifully written and atmospheric story that captures the anticipation of rainfall in a remote Australian Indigenous community. Throughout the week, the land remains dry, and the people wait patiently for the relief that the rain will bring. The book helps students explore observable weather changes and how they impact the environment and daily life (ACSSU004 – Foundation Year; AC9S1U02 – Year 1, Science). It also help kids compare and recognise the extensive knowledges of daily and seasonal changes in weather patterns and landscape held by First Nations Australians.
The timely, predictable text encourages children to recognise and describe the sequence of the days of the week, supporting their understanding of time (ACMMG007, AC9MFM02 – Foundation Year, Mathematics). With its rich language and evocative illustrations, Big Rain Coming fosters curiosity about weather patterns and seasonal changes while promoting discussions about patience, resilience, and connection to the land.
This delightful and imaginative book introduces young readers to counting (ACMNA001, AC9MFN01 – Foundation Year, Mathematics) and basic multiplication concepts. By using the number of feet on various animals, the story encourages children to explore basic counting with feet (ACMNA002 – Foundation Year, Mathematics) and repeated addition, grouping, and arrays to represent numbers. This creative approach not only reinforces counting skills but also provides a playful foundation for understanding multiplication (ACMNA031 – Year 2, Mathematics). Additionally, the book supports early number recognition and sequencing as children practice counting and comparing quantities. With its vibrant illustrations and humorous scenarios, this book engages young learners while fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills in an enjoyable way.
This lively and engaging story introduces young readers to basic counting from 1 to 10 (ACMNA001, AC9MFN01 – Foundation Year, Mathematics). The simple yet entertaining narrative follows bears as they ride on wheels in various configurations, showcasing relationships between numbers and objects (ACMNA002 – Foundation Year, Mathematics). Through its use of repetitive patterns and clear visual representations, the book helps children practise subitising small collections (ACMNA003 – Foundation Year, Mathematics). With its playful illustrations and rhythmic text, Bears on Wheels is an excellent resource for building early numeracy skills in an enjoyable and interactive way.
This delightful rhyming adventure captivates young readers with its playful text and vibrant illustrations. The story counts down from 10 to 1 as a group of mischievous little dinosaurs encounters various adventures and challenges, blending humour with basic counting skills (ACMNA001, AC9MFN01 – Foundation Year, Mathematics). It connects number names, numerals, and the number of dinosaurs (ACMNA002 – Foundation Year, Mathematics), making it a valuable tool for early numeracy. The rhymes and repetitive patterns not only entertain but also foster language development and phonemic awareness (ACELA1439 – Foundation Year, English). With its engaging narrative and educational focus, Ten Little Dinosaurs is a perfect read-aloud choice for young children, combining fun and learning in one enjoyable package.
• Students are learning to count backwards through the one-less number concept.
• Students are practising basic counting skills up to 10.
• Students will practise counting numbers up to 10.
Engage kids with maths through storytelling! Discover children’s books and hands-on activities to teach measurement, counting, and problem-solving in fun, interactive ways aligned with the Australian Curriculum.
The book is an artistic exploration of Australia’s diverse landscapes through the lens of geometric shapes. The book introduces young readers to the natural world by identifying and describing various shapes found in the environment, such as circles in the treetops, triangles in the mountains, and spirals in shells. This aligns with the learning objective AC9MFSP01, ACMMG006 (Mathematics, Foundation Year), which focuses on identifying and describing familiar two-dimensional shapes in the environment. Additionally, the book supports AC9AVAFD01, ACAVAM106 (Visual Arts, Foundation Year) by encouraging young readers to explore how visual arts express ideas about the world. Through Bancroft’s detailed and culturally rich illustrations, children learn to interpret and appreciate the unique beauty of Country through the use of shapes and patterns in visual storytelling. This beautifully illustrated book not only enhances children’s geometric understanding but also deepens their appreciation for the visual arts, making it a valuable resource for integrated learning in mathematics and art.
• Students learn to identify, sort, and name familiar 2D shapes
This vibrant and engaging book introduces young readers to the concept of shapes in a fun and playful setting. Through its dynamic illustrations, children explore a variety of shapes—such as circles, triangles, and squares—while following the excitement of a party scene. The book aligns with AC9MFSP01 (Foundation Year, Mathematics), which focuses on identifying and describe familiar two-dimensional shapes within objects in the environment. As children engage with the visuals, they develop geometric awareness and recognition skills in an enjoyable and meaningful context. With its bold artwork and interactive storytelling, Shapes at the Party fosters curiosity and learning through real-world applications of geometry, making it a valuable resource for early mathematical exploration.
• We are learning to recognise 2D shapes in everyday objects.
Shapes with Little Fish is a bright and engaging picture book that introduces young children to basic shapes through playful underwater adventures. The book helps early learners name, describe and trace shapes (AC9MFSP01, ACMMG009 – Foundation Year, Mathematics) through simple, rhythmic text (AC9EFLY09, ACELA1439 – Foundation Year, English), which also supports reading while fostering early geometric awareness. In addition, the cheerful character of Little Fish guides readers through a lively exploration of shape recognition in an accessible and interactive way.
• Students are learning to identify and match basic shapes.
Discover engaging activities to teach shapes to Foundation Year students using storytelling with books like Shapes with Little Fish, Shapes at the Party and Shapes of Australia. Combine fun and learning seamlessly!
• We are learning to count objects and match them to numbers.
• We are learning to count backward from 10.
• We are learning to count and order numbers from 1 to 10.
Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno is a beautifully illustrated and engaging book that introduces young children to the concept of numbers and counting. As the story unfolds, readers are invited to follow a journey through various landscapes, counting objects and animals along the way. This simple yet captivating narrative allows children to practise recognising numerals and matching them with corresponding quantities (AC9MFN01 – Foundation Year, Mathematics).
The book’s enchanting illustrations and gentle pacing make it a perfect resource for young learners to develop early number sense, visualising quantities, and building a strong foundation for understanding numbers in a real-world context. By combining storytelling with mathematical concepts, Anno’s Counting Book encourages curiosity and exploration, fostering a love for both reading and maths.
This picture book invites children to count along as various animals come to help a duck who’s stuck in the muck. The repetitive, rhyming text supports early literacy development by exposing children to rhymes and predictable sentence patterns (AC9EFLE04 – Foundation Year, English).
At the same time, the book reinforces key mathematical concepts by encouraging children to recognise numerals, match quantities, and practise sequencing numbers up to ten (AC9MFN01 – Foundation Year, Mathematics). With its engaging rhythm, vibrant illustrations, and opportunities for counting and number sequence, One Duck Stuck is an excellent resource for developing both early language and numeracy skills in an enjoyable and memorable way.