The Literature – Math Connection

Literature is an excellent visual tool for introducing young children to basic math concepts (number identification, pattern recognition, counting) and vocabulary (more, less, long, short, inch, feet). There are also many books that can help older children have fun learning more complex concepts such as multiplication, geometry, and algebra. In addition, characters in books, just like people in real life, use math during everyday activities and model examples of problem-solving, a necessary skill for proficiency in most areas of math. 

What is so important in today’s world….is this:  Math is not just for boys! Liking and enjoying numbers is not gender-specific when children are young.  There is research into why young girls, around the ages of 9-12, stop “liking math. One strong factor is the culture itself…..the messages our culture sends to young girls.

Use the months of January and February to enjoy the literature-math connection with girls and boys!
   

Below is a list of books that engage children in talking about and enjoying learning about math concepts.

Number Identification and Counting
Cheerios Count To 100 by Justine Fontes (ages 4-7)
Counting to 100 has never been so yummy! Fun activities and bright illustrations teach important concepts, such as shapes, numbers and colors.

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow (ages 3-6)
Rhyming text and predictable refrains encourage little ones to sing along even as they laugh at the silly monkeys in this popular counting rhyme.

Feast For 10 by Cathryn Falwell (ages 3-6)
An extended family works together to put whip up a delicious feast! Readers count each step the family takes in preparing the meal, including shopping, cooking, and setting the table. 

Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews (ages 4-6)
Children count all the way to 10 with simple rhymes and bright illustrations that incorporate 1-10 dots into the design. For example, one dot is the big, shining sun.

Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang (ages 3-6)
A father lovingly turns getting ready for bed into a playful game, as he helps his daughter count down each bedtime ritual.

Over in the Meadow by Olive A. Wadsworth (ages 4-6)
 “Over in the meadow, in the sand, in the sun, lived an old mother turtle and her little turtle one.” This is a classic Appalachian counting rhyme that features animal mothers and their babies living in unique meadow habitats.

How Much, How Many, How Far, How Heavy, How Long, How tall Is 1000? by Helen Nolan (ages 6-9)
A thousand may seem like a lot, but a thousand hairs would make a very thin hairdo! Children will be intrigued by the comparisons- how a 1000 of this seems a lot smaller than 1000 of that- in this book about the number 1000.

How Much Is a Million? by David M. Schwartz (ages 6-9)
A mathematical magician helps make the concepts of a million, a billion, and a trillion less intimidating and a lot more fun.
  
Fractions
Eating Fractions by Bruce McMillan (ages 4-6)
In this simple concept book of fractions, two friends share different snacks. From bananas to pizza, here is a mouth-watering introduction to wholes, halves, thirds, and quarters. Recipes for some of the foods are included.

Apple Fractions by Jerry Pallotta (ages 6-9)
Playful elves demonstrate how to divide apples into halves, thirds, fourths, and more. In addition to learning fractions, readers are introduced to the apple’s many varieties.

Geometry
The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds (ages 4-6)
The lively rhymes in this colorful picture book demonstrate how simple shapes come together to form houses, boats, and lots of other things in our world.

What Is a Triangle?; What Is Round?; What Is Square? By Kai Dotlich (ages 3-5)
In these three books, a variety of familiar things are presented in beautiful photographs, accompanied by rhyming text that allows children to identify objects and recognize shapes.

When a Line Bends…a Shape Begins by Rhonda Growler Greene (ages 5-8)
With lively rhyming text, children are invited to find different shapes on each busy, vibrant page.

The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns (ages 7-10)
In this introduction to polygons, a triangle convinces a shape-shifter to make him a quadrilateral and later a pentagon, only to discover that where angles and sides are concerned, more isn’t always better.

Multiplication and Division

Even Steven and Odd Todd by Kathryn Cristaldi (ages 6-8)
Even Steven likes everything to come in even numbers-his pets, his books, and even his pancakes. When his cousin, Odd Todd, arrives, Even Steven’s world is turned upside down! Math games are included at the end of the story.

The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins (ages 4-6)
This clever rhyming story effectively conveys the concepts of sharing and simple mathematics when a pair of siblings has to divide their mom’s batch of cookies with more and more friends.

Math Puzzles: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division

The Grapes of Math by Greg Tang (ages 7-9)
This book introduces children to the art of problem-solving through a series of engaging math riddles. Kids will be challenged to think creatively while learning valuable tricks for adding more quickly and accurately.

Math for All Seasons by Greg Tang (ages 5-9)
In a book that challenges children to open their minds, they will discover how to solve problems in new and unexpected ways. By looking or patterns, symmetries, and familiar number combinations within eye-catching pictures, math becomes easier and more fun!

Each Orange Had 8 Slices by Paul Giganti, Jr. (ages 5-8)
If each orange has 8 slices and each slice has 2 seeds, how many seeds are there in all? Readers will have fun whether multiplying, adding, or counting their way through the math puzzles hiding in the world around them.

Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School by Louis Sachar (ages 8-12)
This book of brainteasers presented in story form, contains a line-up of math puzzles that require only basic math skill to solve. The book is full of hints and clues, with all the answers in the back of the book.