Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi (A Math Adventure), by Cindy Neuschwander and illustrated by Wayne Geehar, is another story in the Sir Cumference series.  In this adventure, Sir Cumference takes a potion that turns him into a dragon.  His wife, Lady Di of Ameter, and his son, Radius, must find a way to keep him from being slain by the knights.  A container poem, two carpenters, (Geo of Metry and his brother, Sym), and Lady Fingers (a cousin of Radius) all play a part in helping Radius solve the mystery of the poem.  Radius saves the day (and his father) by discovering Pi!

This book does not disappoint!  These books by Neuschwander are so clever in introducing children to math concepts through stories and illustrations.  We love reading these books!

Question Collection:

*Who was your favorite character in this book?  Why?

*Can you make an illustration of pi like the pie in this book?

*Can you think of some times when you’ll need to use pi?

M & Ms Math!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9........

It's a Month of Math!

Today we’re reviewing two similar counting books both based on using M & Ms as counting tools.  The first one, The M & M’s Counting Book, by Barbara Barbieri McGrath and illustrated by Roger Glass, uses the candy pieces for counting and sets.  Younger children will have fun looking at all the ways they can group the colored candies.

The other book, More M & M’s Math, also by McGrath, develops more math skills such as estimating, graphing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing (with remainders, too). The review page at the book of the book is a quick reference for children to check what they’ve learned.

We hope you enjoy these math books paired with fun treats!  Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*What math skills did you learn today?

*Are there any other ways you could use math with M & Ms?

*Could you write a math story about a different type of food?

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9........

It's a Month of Math!

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (A Math Adventure), by Cindy Neuschwander and illustrated by Wayne Geehar, is such a creative way for children to learn about math.  Sir Cumference, his wife, Lady Di (from the town of Ameter), and his son Radius are the main characters who eventually come up with the idea of the first round table for King Arthur.  Through a series of rectangular, square, diamond, and octagon tables, a round table evolves.  The distance across the table is, of course, equal to Lady Di of Ameter’s reach, and half of that distance is equal to the reach of Radius. 

Children who love language and word play will enjoy reading about Sir Cumference.  Children who learn visually should find it easier to understand radius, diameter, and circumference after viewing the illustrations in this book.  We’ll be looking at more Sir Cumference books soon!

Question Collection:

*What is your favorite name in the book?

*What is your favorite illustration?

*Can you explain radius, diameter, and circumference in your own words now?

Look Both Ways---City Math

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9........

It's a Month of Math!

We're excited to be looking at math books and ideas this month.  Some of the books we'll be reviewing are fiction and some are nonfiction. Look Both Ways (City Math), a Time Life Series book, is a fun book we found at a used bookstore.  Fortunately, even though it’s an older book, it can still be ordered. There are math mysteries, eye spy fun, computation, measurement, and lots more math to be discovered. Even the inside front and back covers have math games that can be played.  Children can readily find that math is everywhere, hopefully leading to an enjoyment of finding math fun. Elementary aged children (and parents) will find many activities in the 63 pages to return to time and again.  We hope you enjoy the math fun in this book!

Question Collection:

*Which activity is your favorite?

*Which math mystery was the easiest for you?

*Can you think of other math patterns in nature?

Learning about Estimating

Summer is a great time to incorporate everyday learning into our routine. We’re trying to have fun this summer while we review academic skills from the school year.   Here are some things we’re doing with estimating:

*Water play:  Using different size pitchers, bowls, and droppers to determine how much water another object can hold.

*Peanut shells:  At a local restaurant we estimated how many peanuts were in various sized shells.  Fun!

*Water evaporation:  Pour water in a shaded area of the sidewalk and then on a sunny area of the sidewalk using the same container each time.  Which one evaporates more quickly?

*Sidewalk chalk:  Draw a long line and have your child estimate how many steps it takes to walk it.

*Beads:  Estimate how many beads will fit on a lacing string.

We hope you have fun with these ideas!