Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9........

It's a Month of Math!

Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do, by Stuart Murphy and illustrated by Kevin O’Malley, is an engaging book for young children.  Children can learn some counting skills as they enjoy this story.  We especially like the Things to Do for Adults and Kids in the back of the story. 

Kangaroo tries to engage his friends in play because it’s his birthday, but the animals are all busy.  As he visits each group, he finds one emu doing 10 things, 2 platypus friends doing 20 things, 3 koalas doing 30 things, and 4 dingoes doing 40 things.  Of course, the book’s conclusion reveals why the animals were busy.  We won’t spoil the ending, but young children will have fun discovering the reason!  

Question Collection:

*Which animal was your favorite?

*How do you think the kangaroo felt during the story?  At the end?

*What would you do for Kangaroo’s birthday?

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?

Hershey's Milk Chocolate Fractions Book

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9........

It's a Month of Math!

Are you looking for a fun way for your child to learn about fractions?  The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Fractions Book, by Jerry Pallotta and illustrated by Rob Bolster, is a great place to start!

Make sure you have a Hershey’s chocolate bar as you read this book. The twelve squares that make up the candy bar are the basis for the fractions used initially in this book.  You can use the candy bar as a manipulative as you read the text and examine the illustrations.  Many classrooms use this book but it’s also fun to use as a review at home if your child has participated at school.   We like that the author extends fractions so that more denominators are used linking the candy bar to its origins.

We hope you enjoy this book….and eating the candy bar when you’re through!

Question Collection:

*What did you learn about fractions?

*What other foods can you think of that have natural fractional parts?

*Could you write a math story like this using a different kind of food?

Measuring Penny

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9........

It's a Month of Math!

Measuring Penny, by Loreen Leedy, is an interesting way for children to discover measurement through Penny the dog’s owner, Lisa.  Lisa decides to use Penny, her Boston terrier, for her measurement homework.  What follows is a great way to introduce children to standard and nonstandard measurements in fun ways!

Lisa measures Penny with a ruler, dog biscuits (to compare to her other breeds),  a seesaw, scales, thermometer, stopwatch, etc.  The illustrations are very engaging as the reader can see how the measurement tools are used.  Finally, Lisa measures Penny’s cost and then her value.  We won’t spoil the surprise ending….but you might guess what Lisa decides Penny could also be named!

Question Collection:

*What was your favorite unit of measurement?

*Are there any other ways you can think of to measure Penny?

*Can you think of objects you could use as measurement homework?

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?

Domino Addition

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9........

It's a Month of Math!

One of the best ways to develop math skills is by using simple visual, tactile objects.  Domino Addition, by Lynnette Long, uses dominoes to teach number recognition, counting, and simple addition.  This is a great book to use with early learners along with a set of dominoes so that they can manipulate the tiles as they listen to the story.  Long does a terrific job of using a readily available game to extend learning.  One example of the way she teaches number recognition and counting is through the photographs of domino tiles arranged in a number (such as 4) and then asking the reader to find the dominoes that have 4 dots on it.  An answer key is given at the bottom of those pages.

If your child is beginning to add single digit numbers, this is a great book to use!

Question Collection:

*Can you arrange dominoes to make numerals?

*Can you make some addition facts with dominoes and write the equations for them?

*What did you learn from this book?

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?