Mathematics·Mathematical Thinking·meta
Using objects to model real problems
Use objects, drawings, or simple number sentences to represent a real-world situation (early mathematical modelling)
Suggested ages 5–6
Learning journey
Your child is beginning to think like a mathematician — using objects and pictures to solve problems, explaining their reasoning, noticing patterns, and connecting maths to real-world situations.
Evidence of understanding
- Draw a picture or use objects to represent a simple real-world situation involving counting or comparing
- Write or dictate a number sentence to describe a real-world situation (e.g. 'I had 5 apples and ate 2')
- Use the model to answer a question about the situation
Assessment prompt
If you describe a simple real-life situation to Using objects to model real problems — like "there are 3 birds on a fence and 2 more land" — can they write a number sentence like 3 + 2 = 5 to represent it?
Standards alignment
No external standards are linked to this topic.