FoundationMaths is built step by step.
Mathematical knowledge is cumulative. Each new concept builds on what came before. A child who has a secure understanding of number sense in year 1 has a much stronger foundation for multiplication in year 3, and algebra in year 7.
This is why early gaps matter — not because a child is "bad at maths", but because missing one brick makes the next layer harder. The good news: gaps can be closed with the right kind of practice.
Research estimates that around 5–8% of children have persistent difficulties with maths — roughly the same prevalence as dyslexia. Early maths skills are also one of the strongest predictors of later school outcomes and employment. This is why early identification and support matters.
Sources: Lewis & Fisher (2016), Taking Stock of 40 Years of Research on Mathematical Learning Disability; Geary (2015), Preschool children's quantitative knowledge and long-term risk for functional innumeracy.
How learning worksFrom concrete to abstract.
Research shows that children learn new mathematical concepts most effectively when they move through three stages: concrete (hands-on objects), representational (drawings and diagrams), and then abstract (numbers and symbols). This is called the CRA model.
ConcreteThe child sees and touches the maths. Examples: base-ten blocks, Cuisenaire rods, two-coloured counters, beans and cups, a balance scale.
RepresentationalThe child pictures the maths. Examples: hundred grids, ten-frames, number lines, block diagrams, dot sketches.
AbstractThe child reasons with symbols: 5 + 3 = 8. No physical objects — just numbers and signs.
Source: Hudson & Miller (2006), Concrete-to-Representational-to-Abstract Instruction.
How knowledge is consolidatedA little and often beats a lot at once.
Forgetting is a normal part of learning — every child forgets some of what they just learnt. What consolidates knowledge is returning to it: short practice sessions a few days apart work far better than one long session, even when the total time is the same. Each time your child retrieves something from memory, the memory gets stronger.
That is why it can look like your child "knew it yesterday but not today" — that's not failure, it's exactly the moment when practising again has the biggest effect.
Source: Cepeda, Pashler, Vul, Wixted & Rohrer (2006), Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks, Psychological Bulletin.
At homeHow you can help at home.
You don't need to be a maths teacher. The most effective home support is short, regular, and calm — 10–15 minutes a few times a week. Positive attitude matters too: research shows that parents' own feelings about maths can influence their children.
One finding from research that is especially useful at home: focusing on how your child reasons — their strengths and what they need to work on — raises performance. Focusing mainly on whether an answer is right or wrong can actually lower it.
- —Count together in everyday situations — steps, items in the shopping trolley, minutes until dinner.
- —Ask "how do you know?" rather than "is that right?" — reasoning out loud builds understanding.
- —Let your child explain their method to you. Teaching something is one of the best ways to learn it.
- —If your child is stuck, work backwards to an easier version of the problem. Don't skip to the answer.
- —Praise the thinking, not just the answer — "I like how you worked that out" builds more confidence than "correct".
Source: Hodgen & Williams, Mathematics Inside the Black Box.