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The Finnish school system will transfer to the new Core Curriculum for Basic Education 2014 in 2016. The new curriculum emphasizes integration of subjects. In Finland, mathematics and the mother tongue are the two subjects which are taught the most and therefore play a significant role in every primary teacher's weekly routine. Unlike English-speaking countries, Finland lacks children's literature aimed towards use in mathematics teaching. This study aimed to understand teachers' and teacher-trainees' points of view on the extent to which they use children's literature in teaching mathematics in primary school and how to efficiently use children's literature in teaching mathematics in primary school. This study was a part of an international study entitled 'Teachers' beliefs on the integration of children's literature in primary mathematics learning and teaching: A comparative study', including universities from England, Hong Kong, Australia, and Finland. The aim was to determine teachers' beliefs concerning integration of children's literature into mathematics teaching and to the extent to which this benefits learning. Data collection was conducted via web-based questionnaires translated into Finnish from spring to autumn 2015. Mixed methods data analysis showed that teachers/teacher-trainees do not use children's literature in mathematics teaching, but they still recognize various ways to implement it into their teaching. Previous studies on the use of literature in mathematics teaching show that children's literature may provide a meaningful context to develop mathematical skills and foster children's positive attitudes towards mathematics, as the stories in the literature are presented in an engaging and approachable manner.

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Literature supports children's literacy growth in many ways. It helps children extend their understanding and clarify different situations in their lives, recognize and deal with feelings, and be more empathetic. Hands‐on activities based on stories support children in giving shape to their thoughts. These creative activities not only empower the children but also help teachers understand children's interpretations of literature better and build further on themes for discussions of literature. This article describes an instructional approach with a series of activities (stories, drawing, crafts and discussions) integrated with picturebooks. The activating methods can be used in classrooms to revitalize literature discussions while engaging different senses of all learners. This article gives teachers ready‐made materials for use in early childhood education.

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