Speech Buddies Parents’ Corner – 7 Fun Books that Build Math Skills

by Chris O

 

For many kids, math doesn’t conjure up images of exciting, fun, or even worthwhile activities. However, you can help to turn those math humdrums into math smiles with these fun books that build math skills – no math-related frustration required.

Fun Books that Build Math Skills

1. Sir Cumference – These whimsical storybooks bring to life characters such as Lady Di of Amter and the Dragon of Pi, and one of them takes place in the imaginary setting of Angleland. Various geometry concepts are introduced and explained in these colorful picture books with entertaining story lines for kids grades K-5.

2. The Grapes of Math, by Gregory Tang – This book includes fun and entertaining ways to teach kids how to use patterns to solve math puzzles. The language is very simplistic and includes rhyming elements, making it an effective tool for even pre-K kids. Also check out Tang’s other fun math book titles, such as Math Potatoes, which is a more advanced version of The Grapes of Math.

3. Life of Fred – You have to open these covers with more than your open eyes. You’re going to need an open mind, too. The Life of Fred series is used by some to teach the basic concepts of almost all math skills, while others enjoy it for its unusual twists, as it combines a complete storyline into the methods for mathematics computations. My youngest even recently told me that he used to think math was boring and his least favorite subject, but now he looks forward to each chapter in these books (and don’t tell him – but he’s learning more, too!).

4. Family Math, by Jean Kerr Stenmark – Get the whole family involved in math with the more than 100 activities presented in this book. The extra supplies you might need are often everyday materials from around your home, such as scissors, string, and buttons. It’s even a great option for family game night and works for kids at many stages of elementary math skills.

5. 2X2 = Boo! – Just in time for Halloween, this book by Loreen Leedy is filled with spooky multiplication stories for those just learning their “times tables”. If you’re looking for a Halloween math book for a child who is reading, try Mummy Math: An Adventure in Geometry, by Cindy Neuschwander. The characters of this story have to use math skills to solve mysteries and locate the burial chamber.

6. Bedtime Math – Homework doesn’t have to end before bedtime. This book is a new twist on the boring “story problems” in math where one train is just rumbling toward another. Now kids can try any of the more than 100 riddles to help build their math skills (and stop groaning about story problems).

Image Courtesy of bedtimemath.org

7. Riddle-Iculous Math, by Joan Holub – Let the riddles of this funny collection help teach your kids their math skills while they giggle their ways through the solutions. Engaging color pictures help to make for either a read-a-loud or a selection for an early reader to enjoy independently.

Math doesn’t have to be painful when we can use fun books that build math skills. If you’re looking for more ways to make math more enjoyable for your little ones, don’t forget to check out these digital app options, too.

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