Mathematizing Children's Literature: Sparking Connections, Joy, and Wonder Through Read-Alouds and Discussion

I received this book specifically to write a review. That said, I try to be honest and open in all my reviews.(I may add some pictures later, but I wanted to get the review done sooner than later.)This is a wonderful book. The premise is simple as many good ideas are. Use stories and story books to examine the mathematics of everyday life.Math is a part of everything we do from knowing have far away something is to calculating how much a group of things will cost.The book contains worksheets for "Mathematizing" of the books. To do a good job at this requires the teacher to spend some quality time looking at the story and seeing where math naturally intersects with the story.How tall is the diving board? How many ducks are in the picture? How many ways should the cake be cut, and how large should the pieces be? What does the fair cut for a piece of cake look like?I love the notion that the students can get used to Mathematizing and start doing it on their own and noticing things the teachers, guardians, and parents might not notice right away.Bravo!I highly recommend this book for elementary school teachers, parents, and those learning about education.

If I'm honest with myself, I'd have to say that I ordered this book to affirm what I already knew.It didn't disappoint. It did prove to me what I already knew. There is nothing I hadn't been taught or had come to consider after years of education, parenting and teaching.This book wasn't meant for me. And, if you found it redundant and lacking in "new to you" information, then it probably wasn't meant for you either.I tried to imagine back when I was a fresh college student and realized this is exactly the type of book I DID read back then. This is meant for people who these concepts are new to, at least in my opinion.Since I'm not 18 or new to the concepts, I found myself skimming. I agree with other reviewers that the book does have examples of 1st through 3rd grade lessons that seem like they are not age appropriate. By that, I only mean that some of the conversations felt like they were with older or more educationally mature students than the target age range. I could be mistaken. Do not take my word for it. Read it and make your own conclusions. But, in the end the conversations really don't matter much. As you read them, you will inevitably spark ideas for your own classroom. That's priceless.I am glad I own it. I would like to keep it on the shelf with my children's books and have it as a reminder to consider things like cross-disciplinary lessons (and not just for math and reading) when writing stories and lesson guides.If I ever have loads of guests coming through, I may put it on the coffee table as a conversation starter with authors, new parents or those who are just considering home education. They are a good portion of the people who need to be introduced to these concepts, if they hadn't already considered it.Bottom line (TL;DR): I personally wouldn't order this book again. I don't need it. I'll repeat myself: I'm glad I own it now. On the other hand, I would suggest it to someone who is starting off and considering a career in teaching, writing or parenting.

I am not a licensed educator but am homeschooling an incredibly bright child and needed ideas to help him expand beyond arithmetic.For me, interdisciplinary learning this is an entirely new concept. While almost every child loves reading and being read to, many don't love math. I'm fortunate in that my kid actually enjoys math - a lot - and has a solid understanding of arithmetic and fractions, but I've been looking for ways to expand and branch into more complex math without boring him to tears. This book is full of ideas for bridging math and literature together and is an excellent resource any early educator or parent who wants to help expand their child's mind. Math is everywhere, and by incorporating math into storytime by asking pointed questions about the book, you're activating the portion of the mind responsible for mathematics and bridging the gap without making a fuss.Though I'm fascinated by the concepts, the book is not an easy read. There is a lot of text, and all of it isn't direct examples. There are enough examples in that skimming through can still provide a great groundwork for mathematizing.Despite that, I absolutely would buy it again and think it's excellent for any educator or parent who wants to expand their child's understanding of math without a fight.

This is not light bedtime reading for most people.There are more words than pictures. And a hefty nearly 200 pages of information.As a math teacher who also happens to teach reading comprehension and ESL, I was curious about the book.While I instinctively have always taught with similar ideas that were included (so I do think it's a great book!), now that I'm over 50, I know that most people don't ... and need to be taught.This focuses on early learning.You read a book, look at the ideas and pictures, and use those to connect ideas from other fields of learning. "How many dots are on that dog?" "How many flowers are in the vase?" "Are there more white flowers or blue flowers?"Excellent book..... although it is also a bit pricey. Not bad since it could be used as a text book.Would be a good book for all homeschooling moms of preschoolers... but warning, it might make you think!

If I were still teaching graduate studies classes in early childhood education, MATHEMATIZING CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: SPARKING CONNECTIONS, JOY, AND WONDER would be required reading for the course.This book is filled with ideas for math concepts within diverse read alouds. You’ll learn about anchor charts, conversation starters, graphic organizers, open-ended questions, and so much more.Interdisciplinary learning, such as merging math and literature, should be part of every curriculum, especially in the early years. It provides different entry points for students, which raises their engagement level and helps with “math anxiety.”I plan to share this book with my student teachers, mentees, parents who are interested in learning more about best practices in math and reading, and any administrators and colleagues who have the time to read it.(See photos of some of my favorite parts of the book.)