Good Math Books
Math can present challenges for homeschoolers. But, there are many great resources available to make math not only more palatable but downright fun and easy to integrate into the rest of your homeschooling activities. Here are some of our favorite math books.
Bedtime Math:
Bedtime Math:
If you are in the habit of reading books to your kids before bed, these will fit right into this routine. Each book contains a number of different short stories which contain some fun facts. There are also math questions related to the story; one question for "wee ones" a second question for little kids, and a third question for big kids. The questions increase in complexity. In the second and third volumes of this series, there are bonus questions for each story which are usually a step above the big kids questions in complexity.
You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Math!
You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Math!
The "You Wouldn't Want" series contains a lot of great history and science books. As with all the books in the series, this one contains a lot of useful information, side notes with interesting facts, and other tips and activities. It provides a great illustration of just how much math we live with in our everyday world and how we not only wouldn't want to live with out, but we couldn't live without this math.
2x2=Boo:
2x2=Boo:
This book provides a fun way of introducing multiplication and became a regular part of our halloween celebration for many years. The book only covers a small portion of the multiplication tables, just enough to get kids interested and give them the confidence to learn more. The book covers multiplication from 1x1 through 5x5 only going to the fives. The book uses stories to illustrate the principle of what happens when you multiply numbers and uses repetition to help kids remember the multiplication facts that are covered.
That's a Possibility!
That's a Possibility!
It is quite probable that this is one of the most important concepts in mathematics for most people. An understanding of probability is essential in many areas of life and this little book does a good job of introducing the idea to young kids. The book addresses the notion of possible, impossible, and probable. There are lots of excellent, well-illustrated examples as well as a number of activities to illustrate probability in different ways.
The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat:
The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat:
Often mathematics gets reduced to mere calculation and memorization. But, for Penrose the mathematical cat, there's much more to math than that. There are patterns, fractals, triangle numbers, Fibonacci numbers, and tessellations. This book provides kids with interesting ideas to think about as they deepen their understanding of mathematics as a whole. There are also a number of activities to illustrate in concrete ways the sometimes abstract concepts discussed.
David Adler Books:
David Adler Books:
For young kids, any or all of these books are great ways to introduce specific math concepts including shapes, place value, Roman numerals, large numbers, and fractions. Each book is well-illustrated and provides an excellent introduction to each math concept. The book on estimation is an excellent companion to the probability book I mentioned above and Mystery Math is a nice addition to 2X2=Boo introducing kids to basic algebra concepts.
Math Quest Books:
Math Quest Books:
Finally, these Math Quest books by David Glover take kids on an adventure whether they have to choose which path to take along the way and solve math puzzles in order to advance to the next step in the adventure. They are great tools for practicing and learning and they provide immediate feedback if kids get the answer wrong by explaining why the answer is wrong and re-directing them to think differently about the problem. With so many different directions and choices you can make these books warrant many repeat readings!
As you can see, there are lots of resources to help introduce your kids to math in a way that will keep them interested and learning. Of course, this list only scratches the surface but these are some of the books we've enjoyed the most. One of the best things about most of these is that they provide enough story interest that kids will want to hear them or read them again and again which is key for learning the math covered in them. The kids want to hear or read the stories and the repetition encourages them to remember the math as a by product of the process.
This article contain links to products on Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
As you can see, there are lots of resources to help introduce your kids to math in a way that will keep them interested and learning. Of course, this list only scratches the surface but these are some of the books we've enjoyed the most. One of the best things about most of these is that they provide enough story interest that kids will want to hear them or read them again and again which is key for learning the math covered in them. The kids want to hear or read the stories and the repetition encourages them to remember the math as a by product of the process.
This article contain links to products on Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.