Math

Math has the power to help solve problems. When introduced in a way that appeals to students, math can be a lot of fun! Kids need new concepts explained to them in easy language. Children learn best when they understand why it might be meaningful and useful. Using children's literature to teach math helps students realize all the different ways they will use math in real-life situations. If kids see how math will help them in the real world, they will feel it is important to learn, and get more out of their learning. Therefore, finding texts with good content, as well as being appealing to students, is very important. Many math texts can have interactive qualities which help engage the learner. They are most often written with an informal voice to capture the reader's attention. There are many different children's books using math as a core concept. In fact, almost all of the concepts introduced in elementary school should have literature that references them. A classroom library should include books teaching all the concepts covered throughout the year, because this is a way for students to be explained the concepts in ways they can understand. Having books that show math being used in real-life, meaningful contexts is also essential.

Some of my favorite book choices:

The Hershey's Addition Book
By: Jerry Pallotta

Pallotta, J. (2001). The hershey's kisses addition book. New York, New York: Scholastic.

Interest Level: K-3
Grade Level: 2.5
Lexile: 370L
Guided Reading: NR


Jerry Pallotta has several of these Hershey's Kisses and Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars books that he wrote so that kids can use manipulatives to understand concepts with more ease. These books illustrate math concepts using Hershey's. Pallotta also has Hershey's books introducing subtraction, division and multiplication, and fractions. Students will be able to use the support of both the teacher and the Hershey's as a means to better understanding. When students can work with concepts in a hands-on activity, they will be more likely to retain the information. Students should also then be able to take the concept they learned and transfer it to other real-life situations. In this case, students should be able to count any object with one-to-one correspondence if they understand this text.

More Jerry Pallotta books




A Million Dots
By: Andrew Clements

Clements, A. (2006). A million dots. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Interest Level: K-5
Grade Level: 3.5
Lexile: 1110L
Guided Reading: P



Large numbers can be hard for students to conceptualize, but Clements does an excellent job through text and illustration of connecting numbers to numerical facts. For example, "To eat 675,000 Hershey's bars, you would have to eat one bar every 2 minutes, nonstop, for more than 234 days!" The author has a way of really helping kids visualize particular amounts, and helping them to see just how big a million is. Both students and adults alike have a hard time wrapping their head around large numbers, but books such as this help put numbers into perspective in an entertaining way. There are many books similar to this one, such as "How Much Is A Million?" by David M. Schwartz, but this is one of my favorites. The text features look updated and the facts used are more interesting than some others I have seen. Some of the facts used can also help tie the book into a Social Studies or Science unit. It is written in a conversational, informal voice which draws the reader in, and the bright images appeal to young students.