The ability to think flexibly in mathematics is an important skill to acquire from the start of the mathematics journey. Young students should be given the opportunity to manipulate materials, draw the mathematics, communicate their knowledge and link their learning to symbols and number sentences. There are many graphic organisers which assist and organise their thinking.
Flexible mathematics thinking (Foundation to Year 3) looks at early childhood strategies which give students the opportunity to use mathematical manipulative materials and graphic organisers, and link their understanding to abstraction.