Australia · ACARA Content Descriptions
Foundation Mathematics
A comprehensive introduction to mathematical thinking designed for the first year of school. Students develop a sense of number, spatial reasoning, and logical patterns through hands on exploration and collaborative problem solving.
Number Sense and Counting
Students explore the concept of quantity and the relationship between numbers and physical objects.
Developing a deep understanding of what numbers represent in the real world through subitising and counting.
Investigating the relative size of numbers and using language to describe more or less.
Understanding that numbers can be broken apart into smaller groups and put back together.
Patterns and Algebraic Thinking
Students identify, describe, and create patterns to build a foundation for algebraic reasoning.
Identifying the core unit of a pattern and predicting what comes next in a sequence.
Observing and recreating mathematical structures found in the environment.
Introduction to sequences that increase or decrease in a predictable way.
Exploring Shapes and Space
Students investigate the properties of two dimensional shapes and three dimensional objects in their environment.
Identifying and classifying common geometric shapes based on their observable features.
Exploring the characteristics of objects that take up space, such as spheres, cubes, and cylinders.
Using mathematical language to describe the location of objects and follow movement instructions.
Measurement and Comparison
Students use direct comparison to explore length, mass, and capacity using informal units.
Comparing the size of objects by placing them side by side.
Using hands and balance scales to feel and compare the heaviness of objects.
Exploring how much a container can hold through pouring and filling activities.
Time and Daily Events
Students develop an awareness of the passage of time and the sequence of daily occurrences.
Ordering familiar events to understand the concepts of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Learning the names and order of the days and associating them with specific activities.
Comparing how long different tasks take to complete.
Data and Probability
Students collect information to answer questions and explore the likelihood of everyday events.
Formulating simple questions and collecting data from the class.
Creating simple displays like object graphs and pictographs.
Using the language of chance to describe the possibility of events occurring.