# Thirty-two number stories you can actually use

**Foundation / Prep · original draft · teacher review pending.** These are short prompts for a teacher or family supporter, not a fixed test. They can be acted with large counters, real safe objects, a ten-frame, raised pieces, drawings, spoken description or AAC. A child may choose the setting that feels familiar. Swap a setting without changing the mathematical task, and invite the child's own everyday example. The number under **check** is for the adult only.

Use cards **01–16** alongside the first two maths weeks. Cards **17–24** bring work towards the curriculum's **at least 20** range and should follow explicit practice there. Cards **25–32** belong **after** addition, subtraction, sharing and grouping have been taught with materials. Do not use later cards to label an early child “behind.” For every card, ask “How do you know?” and accept a demonstrated reason, not just a spoken one. Avoid scoring language fluency, speed or pencil control as maths.

## See and show: 0–5

| Card | Everyday setup and teacher prompt | Adult check and one useful follow-up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 01 · Empty return box | Show an empty box that is meant for library cards. “How many cards are here? Show me the number in another way.” | **0.** The box exists but the collection is empty. Put one card in, then remove it; ask what changed. |
| 02 · One key tag | Place one large pretend key tag on a mat. “How many? Find its numeral.” | **1.** Change the tag's position; ask if the number changes. Use a drawing, not a real household key. |
| 03 · Two drum taps | Make two visible taps or play two optional chimes. “Show the same amount with counters.” | **2.** Repeat with silent visible taps so hearing is never required. |
| 04 · Three cups in a picture | Draw three separate cups. “How many do you see? Could you show three without drawing cups?” | **3.** Fingers, counters, marks or an AAC numeral all work. No real drink is needed. |
| 05 · Four path stones | Put four large flat counters in a square. “How many? What did you see together?” | **4.** Two pairs is one possible explanation; do not require the exact phrase. Rearrange into a row and ask again. |
| 06 · Five garden leaves | Draw or lay five paper leaf shapes as three above two. “How many? Show me a different arrangement of the same number.” | **5.** A 3+2 grouping is possible. Keep the five pieces, move them, and ask if the amount changed. |
| 07 · Four lights | Show four dark circles as two close pairs, then cover them. “What did you notice? Choose a numeral card.” | **4.** Let the child look again. If they count each dot, record counting and practise seeing two pairs; do not claim visual subitising yet. |
| 08 · Five seats | Draw five seats around a table as four and one. “How many seats? Point to groups that helped.” | **5.** Four-and-one or two-and-three are valid group descriptions. No learner needs to draw a table accurately. |

## Build and count: 0–10

| Card | Everyday setup and teacher prompt | Adult check and one useful follow-up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 09 · Parcel desk | A paper order says **6**. “Make six pretend parcels. Touch each once as you count.” | **6.** Observe one count word per parcel and the final total. Reorder the same six and ask again. |
| 10 · Art kit | A kit needs **7** paper shapes. “Build the kit and choose a numeral card.” | **7.** Compare a row of 7 with a tight cluster of the same 7. |
| 11 · Community garden labels | A tray needs **8** blank plant labels. “Make eight with five first, then more.” | **8 = 5+3** on a frame. For children who have not learnt parts yet, simply count and match numeral 8. |
| 12 · Bus seat markers | A toy bus has spaces for **9** seat markers. “Place nine counters. How will you check?” | **9.** A ten-frame has one space empty; a one-by-one recount is also valid. The bus is imaginary, so no transport experience is assumed. |
| 13 · Game pieces | A game box needs **10** pieces. “Make ten, then move them into two groups. Is it still ten?” | **10.** Discuss conserving the quantity after moving, not a required split. |
| 14 · No instruments today | Show an empty music basket and a card **0**. “What would make this basket show one instead?” | **0**, then add one item. A silent/no-instrument situation is not used as an audio detection test. |
| 15 · Shelf labels | Put numeral cards **3, 5, 4** out of order. “Put them in counting order. Where would 0 go?” | **0, 3, 4, 5** among these cards; do not imply missing 1 and 2 are present. Extend with all cards 0–5 for a continuous sequence. |
| 16 · Sports cones | Put **8** large counters on a mat, then spread them farther apart. “Did the amount change? Prove it.” | **8** both times. Pair or recount; a longer-looking row is not necessarily more. |

## Count, order and compare towards 20

Use enough physical objects for an independent check. A written numeral without a built collection is a different piece of evidence. These cards address part of AC9MFN01 and AC9MFN03's **at least 20** range.

| Card | Everyday setup and teacher prompt | Adult check and one useful follow-up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 17 · Library returns | Box A has **11** paper book tokens, box B has **13**. “Which has more? Show me how you know.” | **B by 2.** Pair and count leftovers, or compare the number names after counting. |
| 18 · Building blocks | One builder has **12** blocks; another has **12** spread wider. “Same or different amount?” | **Same.** Match one-to-one; spacing is irrelevant. |
| 19 · Walking markers | Lay **14** large floor markers in a safe line, or move a counter along a paper strip. “Where is 14 on the number path? What comes just before?” | **13 before 14.** Seated/tabletop route is equivalent for ordering; no movement ability is scored. |
| 20 · Art display | One board has **15** child-made shapes; another has **10**. “Which board has more shapes? How many more?” | **15; five more.** If the difference question is new, ask only which has more and model pairing. |
| 21 · Garden pots | A picture has **16** pots in two rows of eight. “Count them carefully. Would a single row change the number?” | **16, no.** Count by ones or pair marks; multiplication is not the target. |
| 22 · Tool tokens | A pretend tool station has **17** tokens and a second has **19**. “Which has fewer? How could you check?” | **17 is fewer, by 2.** Build two ten-frames plus leftover pieces, or pair objects. |
| 23 · Travel cards | There are **18** paper tickets on a mat; a new picture shows **20**. “Show 18 on your path, then 20. Which is greater?” | **20 is greater.** Use real counters before numeral-only comparison if needed. Tickets are pretend and carry no private details. |
| 24 · The empty and full boxes | Box A has **0** counters; box B has **20**. “Make both amounts. Which has more? How do you know?” | **B.** Zero is the empty collection, not the absent box. Follow with a nearer pair such as 19 and 20. |

## Add, take away, share and group within 10

These belong later in the year after concrete introduction. A drawing or story may make the context engaging; the child still needs a way to **represent the action**, not merely recite a fact.

| Card | Everyday setup and teacher prompt | Adult check and one useful follow-up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25 · Paintbrush tray | “There are **4** pretend paintbrush tokens on a tray. We add **2**. Show what happens.” | **6**. Build 4, add 2, count total. Change context to library cards if painting is unfamiliar. |
| 26 · Repair kit | “A toy repair kit has **7** paper tools. We put **3** away. How many stay out?” | **4**. Physically remove 3. Ask the child to retell the action before solving. |
| 27 · Music stands | “**3** stands are here and **3** more arrive. Make the new collection.” | **6**. Show 3 and 3 together; compare with a 4+2 way to make 6 if ready. |
| 28 · Picture display | “A display has **9** paper stars. One is moved into a folder. How many stay on the display?” | **8**. The moved star still exists, but it is no longer in the displayed collection. |
| 29 · Two game boards | “Share **8** large counters equally between two boards. Show how you know each board has the same number.” | **4 each.** Deal one to each in turn, then compare collections. Equal counter totals answer this maths question; real-life fairness may require another conversation. |
| 30 · Three marker cups | “Put **6** marker tokens equally into three drawn cups.” | **2 each.** Group with physical counters; no real sharp/loose small items are needed. |
| 31 · Pairs of socks | “There are **10** paper sock cards. Make groups of two. How many groups?” | **5 groups.** An invented paper set avoids needing a particular family clothing context. |
| 32 · One left over | “Try to share **9** large counters equally between two boards. What do you notice?” | **4 each, 1 left over** if whole counters stay whole. This is an optional challenge; talk about what “equal” means rather than forcing a division symbol. |

## One-minute adaptation routine

1. Keep the mathematical action and quantity range fixed. Change the setting to something the child recognises or chooses: art, sport, a shared room, buses, plants, tools, songs, books, caring for animals, a game, or an imaginary world.
2. Offer at least two ways to perceive the setup (for example, object + spoken description) and two ways to show a reason (for example, move pieces + point/sign/say). Ask the learner what helps; make documented individual adjustments with the family and school team as needed.
3. Write down the exact strategy used and the next small step. One correct answer after a strong prompt is practice evidence, not an independent score.

**Source and reuse:** ACARA Foundation Mathematics codes [AC9MFN01–06](https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/downloads) in the Australian Curriculum v9 workbook (downloaded 29 September 2026; original source SHA-256 `db446882d2c00cf7c085a03e250e2442fda6c44011fc114680c46c1dc7a822c3`). Exact source text retains [ACARA's own terms](https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/copyright-and-terms-of-use). © NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026, “SubjectNest Foundation Number Story Bank”, version 0.1.0-draft. This bank's original contexts, prompts and wording are [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit SubjectNest by NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd, link the source and licence, and note changes. Design draws on [AERO early numeracy guidance](https://www.edresearch.edu.au/guides-resources/practice-guides/early-numeracy-practice-guide-full-publication); it has not been classroom tested. No third-party picture, worksheet, sound or story is reused. A state/territory teacher must verify the locally adopted syllabus/version.