Learning Map

Connecting Representations

Move between real-world situations, drawings, and number sentences, explaining how each representation connects to the others (quantitative reasoning)

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

🖨 Print this page to keep the checklist — it prints beautifully.

Try this together

When your child solves a word problem, can they draw a diagram or write a number sentence to show their thinking — and then explain how the picture and the numbers match the real situation?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on
Real-World to Maths Connectionsages 5–6Age 6-7 quantitative reasoning builds on age 5-6 concrete-to-representation skills
Reading +, −, and = symbolsages 5–6Connecting representations to number sentences requires fluency with +, -, = symbols
Inverse: addition undoes subtractionages 6–7Inverse relationship understanding requires moving between addition and subtraction representations
Connecting Representationsthis skill · ages 6–7
Unlocks
Understanding fractionsages 7–8Age 7-8 quantitative reasoning builds on age 6-7

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 ACARA · 2 NSW · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9M3N04medium confidenceYear 3 · Number

multiply and divide one- and two-digit numbers, representing problems using number sentences, diagrams and arrays, and using a variety of calculation strategies

AC9M1N06medium confidenceYear 1 · Number

use mathematical modelling to solve practical problems involving equal sharing and grouping; represent the situations with diagrams, physical and virtual materials, and use calculation strategies to solve the problem

AC9M2N04medium confidenceYear 2 · Number

add and subtract one- and two-digit numbers, representing problems using number sentences and solve using part-part-whole reasoning and a variety of calculation strategies

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

MAE-CSQ-02medium confidenceMathematics K-10 · Early Stage 1
MAO-WM-01medium confidenceMathematics K-10 · Early Stage 1, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2M2N04medium confidenceMathematics · Level 2 · Number strand
VC2M3N05medium confidenceMathematics · Level 3 · Number strand
VC2M1N06low confidenceMathematics · Level 1 · Number strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

All Mathematical Thinking skills →