Literature and Math – A Great Match

“Reading books that weave mathematical ideas into engaging stories helps dispel the myth that math is dry, unimaginative, and inaccessible.”  – Marilyn Burns

From generation to generation, we have used stories to teach life lessons.  Author Jonathan Gottschall reminds us, “We are, as a species, addicted to story.”  As educators, we know that a good yarn is a very powerful tool.  It can transform a class of active kindergartners into a focused group of eager listeners.  So – let’s put some math related stories to work in our classrooms.  Quality tales of numeracy are proven to deepen the understanding of math vocabulary and help our students make real life connections to mathematical concepts.

Using a math related children’s book is a great way to create interest in math and can provide meaning to an abstract concept.  By using well chosen read alouds, we provide children with the opportunity to hear math vocabulary in a meaningful context and help students connect math to the world around them.  Laney Sammons tells us that math related read alouds are more than just enjoyable diversions.  They activate interest, spark prior knowledge, and add “to a sense of classroom community as students share in a common experience.”

Here are just a few great math reads to try:

Math Curse shows our students how we are surrounded by math and helps to paint a more positive picture for our emerging mathematicians.

The Greedy Triangle is a fun tool for introducing and defining geometric shapes.

A Remainder of One tells the story of poor Joe, a beetle who is often left out.  Students can help create equal groups that include him.

How Big is a Foot?  is the perfect intro to nonstandard and standard measurement.

One Grain of Rice tells the tale of how one grain of rice doubles over time.

Sir Cumference and All the King’s Tens is a great math counting tale.  There are several wonderful read alouds that focus on the adventures of Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter.

You can find many other great math read alouds here:  https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/math-read-alouds