Comments on: Using Children’s Literature to Bridge Reading and Math Learning http://www.dreambox.com/blog/using-children%e2%80%99s-literature-to-bridge-reading-and-math-learning Math Learning, Fun & Education Blog : Dreambox Learning Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:33:45 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Laura http://www.dreambox.com/blog/using-children%e2%80%99s-literature-to-bridge-reading-and-math-learning/comment-page-1#comment-17 Laura Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:29:45 +0000 http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=25#comment-17 My 4 year old son has always loved books and some of his favorites have been books that have strong math connections. One book he particularly enjoyed was <em>Two of Everything: A Chinese Folktale</em> by Lily Toy Hong. It is a story about an older couple who find a magic pot that doubles everything put into it - including them! We've had wonderful conversations about what we would want to put into the pot and what we wouldn't. (He does not want to put his little brother in the pot!) We've also talked about a pot that tripled, quadrupled, etc. Literature has been a great way to discuss math concepts with my son on his terms. I can let him lead and I don't have to be "the teacher". Just like my students in the classroom, I see the best learning happening when it comes from something he is interested in and has some control over. My 4 year old son has always loved books and some of his favorites have been books that have strong math connections. One book he particularly enjoyed was Two of Everything: A Chinese Folktale by Lily Toy Hong. It is a story about an older couple who find a magic pot that doubles everything put into it – including them! We’ve had wonderful conversations about what we would want to put into the pot and what we wouldn’t. (He does not want to put his little brother in the pot!) We’ve also talked about a pot that tripled, quadrupled, etc.

Literature has been a great way to discuss math concepts with my son on his terms. I can let him lead and I don’t have to be “the teacher”. Just like my students in the classroom, I see the best learning happening when it comes from something he is interested in and has some control over.

]]> By: Becca http://www.dreambox.com/blog/using-children%e2%80%99s-literature-to-bridge-reading-and-math-learning/comment-page-1#comment-16 Becca Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:01:51 +0000 http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=25#comment-16 When I was teaching fourth and fifth grade, literature was one strategy I used to connect with kids who had developed negative feelings towards math. Every year, on the first day of school, the first "math lesson" I taught included a favorite book of mine: <em>Math Curse</em> by Jon Scieszka. The story follows a girl for a day after she becomes afflicted with the "math curse" (the day before, her teacher stated that everything could be thought of as a math problem). After reading the story, my class shared their ideas about how daily events could be thought of as math problems. My students then wrote their own "math curse" stories. It was a great opportunity to get to know my students, assess their attitudes towards math (and writing!), and it created a culture where we started feeling the afflictions of the "math curse" all the time... "Ms. Lewis...we only have 3,600 seconds until recess!" When I was teaching fourth and fifth grade, literature was one strategy I used to connect with kids who had developed negative feelings towards math. Every year, on the first day of school, the first “math lesson” I taught included a favorite book of mine: Math Curse by Jon Scieszka.

The story follows a girl for a day after she becomes afflicted with the “math curse” (the day before, her teacher stated that everything could be thought of as a math problem). After reading the story, my class shared their ideas about how daily events could be thought of as math problems. My students then wrote their own “math curse” stories. It was a great opportunity to get to know my students, assess their attitudes towards math (and writing!), and it created a culture where we started feeling the afflictions of the “math curse” all the time…

“Ms. Lewis…we only have 3,600 seconds until recess!”

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