Teaching Math with Literature
Posted by Sam Glass on Mon, Nov 12, 2012 @ 05:06 PM
Cross-curricular instruction is a time-honored tradition. High quality children’s literature can introduce and contextualize math concepts effectively.
More and more children's publishers want to bring storytelling, illustration, and math together. Even some of the genre’s classics are wonderful tools to bring math to a young audience.
Renowned math educator Marilyn Burns will be hosting a free webinar - Using Children's Literature to Teach Math - on November 15 at 3:30 p.m. eastern standard time.
Math Reads is a set of book collections and lessons for K-5 students full of fun stories which bolster math skills. By engaging students with these books, learning math concepts is fun and come naturally as part of the stories. The lessons are connected to the Common Core State Standards, focusing on critical concepts and skills for each grade.
In addition to Math Reads, do you remember these classics?
Beautiful illustrations explain different quantities in terms that young people can easily understand. For example, a billion children standing on each others’ shoulders would reach the moon. (Except for the whole breathing in space problem.) The appendix explains all the calculations... in case you don't believe that something is a million.
- Math Curse by David Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith.
This fun and quirky children's book is about a student who can't figure out math problems. Luckily, these very problems are featured in the book so the reader can help the cursed student.
One of my favorites! Rhythmic poetry, enticing illustrations, and counting the coolest creatures you ever saw.
If you have suggestions for teaching math through literature, please share them here!