Recommended Books

One is a Snail Ten is a Crab

April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Recall multiplication facts up to 10 × 10 and related division facts (ACMNA075)

Teaching ideas
Use other objects to represent multiplicative thinking

The King’s Chessboard

David Birch

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Introduce the concept of variables as a way of representing numbers using letters (ACMNA175)

Teaching ideas
Explore the concept if the wise man had asked for one gain on the first day, three on the second day, nine on the third day etc (x^3). How quickly would she have reached 1 billion grains?

A place for zero

Angeline Sparagna LoPresti

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Establish understanding of the language and processes of counting by naming numbers in sequences, initially to and from 20, moving from  any starting point (ACMNA001); Connect number names, numerals and quantities, including zero, initially up to 10 and then beyond (ACMNA002); Yr1-Recognise, model, read, write and order numbers to at least 100. Locate these numbers on a number line (ACMNA013); Yr2-Recognise, model, represent and order numbers to at least 1000 (ACMNA027); Yr3-Recall multiplication facts of two, three, five and ten and related division facts (ACMNA056)

Teaching ideas
Explore adding numbers up to 10 then beyond and up to 900. Explore adding and multiplying by 0. Conduct some experiments with 'numberator' and 'multi-tube'.

One Hundred Hungry Ants

Elinor J Pinczes

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Recognise and represent multiplication as repeated addition, groups and arrays

Teaching ideas
Explore other configurations they could have marched in. What if there had been 200 ants. What would their quickest configuration have been?

The Boy who Loved Math

Deborah Heiligman

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Investigate index notation and represent whole numbers as products of powers of prime numbers (ACMNA149)

Teaching ideas
Used as an introductory tool for prime numbers and also collaborative work.

Sold: A mothematics adventure

Nathan Zimelman

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Create simple financial plans (ACMNA106)

Teaching ideas
Create basic financial plans.

One Grain of Rice

Demi

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Introduce the concept of variables as a way of representing numbers using letters (ACMNA175)

Teaching ideas
Explore the concept if Rani had asked for one gain on the first day, three on the second day, nine on the third day etc (x^3). How quickly would she have reached 1 billion grains?

One Thing : featuring Charlie and Lola

Lauren Child

Australian Curriculum:  Description

F.Y-Connect number names, numerals and quantities, including zero, initially up to 10 and then beyond (ACMNA002); Yr1-Represent and solve simple addition and subtraction problems using a range of strategies including counting on, partitioning and rearranging parts (ACMNA015); Yr2-Explore the connection between addition and subtraction (ACMNA029); Yr3-Recognise, model, represent and order numbers to at least 10 000 (ACMNA052); Yr3-Tell time to the minute and investigate the relationship between units of time (ACMMG062); Yr4-Recognise, represent and order numbers to at least tens of thousands (ACMNA072); Yr5-Convert between units of time (ACMMG085); Yr6-Select and apply efficient mental and written strategies and appropriate digital technologies to solve problems involving all four operations with whole numbers (ACMNA123)

Teaching ideas
Teach other vocabulary that is often used differently in everyday language such as the examples in the book; e.g. "how about no things" meaning 0 things. Explore time and how long the morning routine takes students in the class. Counting and counting on items.

My Half Day

Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Yr2 – Recognise and interpret common uses of halves, quarters and eighths of shapes and collections (ACMNA033); Yr3 – Model and represent unit fractions including 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/5 and their multiples to a complete whole (ACMNA058)

Teaching ideas
Year 9s could even read this book and be asked to place all fractions mentioned on a number line from smallest to largest. Year 2/3 ideas - have students match the abstract (5/8) to a picture/scenario from the story. Explore and investigate other examples of fractions in the real-world.

Spaghetti and Meatballs for All

Marilyn Burns

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Calculate perimeter and area of rectangles using familiar metric units (ACMMG109)

Teaching ideas
Pages at the back give teachers ideas and extension activities. E.g. How else could she have configured her dining room for the 32 guests? Cut and paste to assist students at the representational level of understanding. Create table arrangements for 12, 16, 24, 36 guests coming to the party.