Do you think of story books as a way of teaching maths? Or maybe you wish you’d been introduced to maths through stories?
Maths Through Picture Books is all about how carefully selected picture books can be powerful tools for developing early mathematical understanding. The programme is rooted in evidence and currently being evaluated through a large-scale trial by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).
The programme offers fresh and engaging support to learners in Reception who need help with foundational number concepts.
Here are 5 key things about Maths Through Picture Books:
- A meaningful context for learning maths
Picture books can bring mathematical concepts to life. Counting, comparison, and quantity are embedded in stories and pictures, not presented as abstract concepts. Children encounter number in a way that feels natural and accessible.
This doesn’t mean that simply reading a book that contains numbers will do the trick and have immediate impact. The approach is only effective because the adult draws out mathematical concepts in a way that enables the children to learn from them.
2. Quality interactions are central to mathematical understanding
At the heart of this programme is high-quality communication between the educator and children. Maths Through Picture Books emphasises sustained conversations: those rich, back-and-forth exchanges that help encourage children to explore and develop their thinking.
The ShREC approach promotes such high-quality exchanges: using ShREC guides educators to listen actively to children, respond to their ideas, and extend their mathematical thinking. These high-quality interactions are integral to helping children develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
3. Targeted small group intervention
The programme is designed specifically for children in Reception who are not adept or confident with key number skills. Small groups of five children get out of class support from their Teaching Assistant (TA), with the class teacher overseeing the programme.
The sessions are 15 minutes long, but frequent: twice a week for a 10-week period. This structure gives children opportunities to revisit and strengthen their understanding.
Importantly, the small-group format creates a space for children to participate, share their ideas, and build confidence in their mathematical thinking. This can be more difficult for some children in a full class setting.
4. Professional Development is key to its success
A huge focus of the programme is the training given to Reception teachers and TAs. The success of any intervention usually depends on how well it is implemented - this programme invests strongly in building staff confidence and expertise.
Reception teachers and TAs learn how to involve children in high quality interactions about maths in selected picture books.
Participants receive:
- face-to-face training
- online learning
- ongoing mentoring
This blend of training aims to equip participants with a stronger understanding of how children learn maths, as well as practical strategies for using picture books effectively.
It also addresses an often-overlooked factor, that of adults’ own confidence and attitudes towards maths. Improving educators’ knowledge and reducing their anxiety about maths helps create more positive and effective learning experiences for children.
5. The value of rigorous evidence
Maths Through Picture Books focuses heavily on evidence. By signing up to the programme, you will be making an important contribution to educational research. That’s because the programme is being rigorously evaluated by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) through a randomised controlled trial (RCT). RCTs are widely considered the ‘gold standard’ in educational research. Schools are randomly assigned to either implement the programme or continue with their usual teaching. This allows researchers to measure the impact of the programme on children’s understanding of number. The evaluation also looks at changes in educators’ understanding, confidence, and knowledge.
The rigour of this research method ensures that we can learn more about the programme’s effectiveness through robust, independent evaluation. Findings will contribute to the wider evidence base, helping schools make informed decisions about how best to support early maths development.
Final thoughts …
Maths Through Picture Books offers a compelling reminder that early maths doesn’t have to be abstract and disconnected from children’s interests and everyday lives. By combining picture books, talk, and targeted support, it creates a rich learning environment where mathematical ideas can become established.
For schools, it’s not just about adopting a new programme, but about rethinking how early maths can be introduced and explored. For children, it opens the door to seeing maths as something to enjoy, discuss, and understand.
As the evaluation progresses, it will be exciting to see how Maths Through Picture Books shapes future practice. But even now, the message is clear: when number and counting are drawn out of picture books and shared through conversation, they become meaningful.
For more information and to register your interest please visit: https://Sheringham-nur.org.uk/maths-through-picture-books/
Want to know more?
EEF: Maths through picture books pilot. East London Stronger Practice Hub
Oxford MeasurEd: Pilot evaluation of Maths through picture books