Picture books are some of the best tools for developing mathematical understandings. Children engage with them in a different way than if you were to simply ask them math questions. It’s a part of being human, storytelling takes a concept and helps drive it home, to the core of who we are.
Here, I’d like to share a few of my favorites with you and how you can use them to help your child become a stronger mathematician and a reader as well. In this post, I will focus particularly on geometry, with more posts to come in the future. If you want access to a full list with a breakdown by grade-level/developmental stage, be sure to subscribe to my free Raising Thinkers Community.
All of these books can probably be found at your local library, but I’ve included links to where you can buy them as well. If you do buy through the links provided, I may earn a small commission, which helps me keep this site and initiative going. Thanks for the support and happy reading!
Probably my all time favorite, so much so that I was once the Greedy Triangle for a book character dress-up day, The Greedy Triangle tells the story of a triangle who wants one more side, then another and another. Written by an expert mathematician and educator, Marilyn Burns, life lessons include learning to be content and happy with who you are, and that who we are is enough. Math concepts include the characteristics of different 2D shapes, polygons, and how the more sides a regular shape has, the more closely it resembles a circle.
The Greedy Triangle
The Greedy Triangle just seems to think his life would be better if he could have just one more side, but becoming a multi-sided polygon might not be all it is cracked up to be.
Which One Doesn’t Belong? is a classic for me to use with students, and even in parent workshops. You can find many more ideas online at Which One Doesn’t Belong? with a variety of options to show your child, or use in your classroom. The premise is simple, and the answers are multiple: of the four options pictured, which one does not belong with the others? There is always a reason why any of the options could be the odd one out. The key is that you have to explain and justify your thinking, developing higher level reasoning and communication skills.
Which One Doesn’t Belong?
Find the odd one out… could there be more than one? Of course there can be! Explain your thinking and share your perspective to develop your reasoning skills with geometric shapes.
The Sir Cumference Series is a playful way to engage with more complex geometric concepts, with a lot to do with circles. From angles to parallel lines and so much more, familiarize your child with the vocabulary in the format of an adventurous tale that will help them develop understandings which will prove useful to them later. This series is most suited for students in the upper elementary grade levels, 3rd-5th would be the ideal age due to the vocabulary and the length of the stories.
Have you read any of these or do you have other suggestions? Let us know in the comments! Thanks and happy reading!
This post was originally posted at Read More