Using storybooks to promote high-quality talk in maths

Recommendation 2 of the EEF’s ​‘Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key Stage 1’ guidance report offers several practical ideas to integrate purposeful mathematics activities into the school day. This highlights that using storybooks can be particularly effective in providing rich opportunities for mathematical talk.

However, in and of itself, just reading these books to children is not enough to develop and extend pupils’ mathematical thinking. Instead, Clements and Sarama (2018) emphasise that children must be supported to actively engage with the mathematical concepts represented in these books, as well as to consider how these relate to their own ideas, experiences and contexts.