A terrific way to enjoy math is to read math story books together. Not only is it enjoyable and interesting, it is also a great way to develop mathematical vocabulary in the context of a story. Once the story book (or a part of it) has been read, ask your child to tell you what it was about. Then, the child will need to use the same mathematical language to describe and explain the concept.
Many story books for young children are not written specifically as a Math story book, but still contain mathematical vocabulary. Fun books such as
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
The Foot Book
Green Eggs and Ham and Other Favorites [DVD]
and many others are filled with mathematical language describing location and size- on, in, up, on top, inside, left, right, tall, short, big, small, tiny and so on.
Galileo changed the way that we see our world by asking question after question. This easy-to-read biography looks at Galileo's life, including his testing of data and discovery of new theories. 95 indexed pages, softcover with illustrations.
Imagine a biography, a study of mathematical and scientific concepts, and an overview of the culture of ancient Greece---all rolled into one! Students will love reading this personal account of Archimedes---one of the greatest minds of the ancient world. They'll discover, like Archimedes, the excitement of ideas and learning! Simple illustrations enhance the accessible text. Ages 10 and up. 142 pages, softcover from Bethlehem Books.
Young Pythagoras can't seem to stay out of trouble. Every time he tries to help, people get angry. What's a curious kid to do?On a trip to Egypt, Pythagoras' curiosity helps him discover the secret of the right triangle. A clever introduction to the Pythagorean Theorem.
Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter and Radius are back in their second Math Adventure! This time, a potion has changed Sir Cumference into a fire-breathing dragon. Can Radius change him back?
Join Radius on his quest through the castle to solve a riddle that will reveal the cure. It lies in discovering the magic number that is the same for all circles. Recommended for grades 2 to 4.
Another installment in the educational adventures of Sir Cumference! There's potential trouble when the King Arthur's knights spot the Circumscribers looking as if they're preparing to make war--so King Arthur calls a meeting. But oh dear, the long table makes it hard to hear; and the square table doesn't make conversation easy, and a parallelogram pokes the king's stomach! Watch as geometry is applied to transform a table step by step into a circle! 32 pages, softcover.
Radius, son of Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter, wants to be a knight more than anything. To earn his knighthood, he needs to venture alone on a heroic quest.
With only a family medallion for luck, Radius dodges dangers and dragons. The ultimate challenge lies in a mysterious castle with a maze of many angles. Which way would you go if you were Radius? With the medallion at the back of the book, you can join in on the adventure! Recommended for grades 2 to 4.
When young Per visits her uncle Sir Cumference and his family, she learns how to play the game, "Inners and Edges." After she finds a clue linking the game to the mysterious castle on the island of Immeter, she must figure out how to find the perimeter and area of a circle to unlock the island's secret.
Math skills taught include finding the area and perimeter of a rectangle and a circle. Introduces an underlying concept of calculus--using straight lines to measure curves. Recommended for ages 9 -12, grades 4 to 8
King Arthur has issued a challenge. The first knight to find the sword Edgecalibur will be the next king. Join Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter, and their son, Radius, as they race to help their friend Vertex discover the secrets of cubes, pyramids, cylinders, and cones---and find the sword! Grades 2 to 4. 32 pages, softcover from Charlesbridge.
Sometimes you have to take risks to really count.
Zero is all alone in the land of Digitaria. He can't play addemup with the other numbers, because he has nothing to add. Join Zero as he goes on a journey to discover his place. His quest takes him from the mysterious workshop of Count infinity to the palace of King Multiplus, where Zero meets a stranger who looks surprisingly familiar. Recommended for ages 5 to 9.
Recognized as the father of analytic geometry, Rene Descartes was a French mathematician and philosopher. Kids will love this funny and very accessible tale - based on one of math's greatest myths - about the man who popularized the Cartesion system of coordinates.
Show your students that numbers don't have to be difficult---in fact, they can be enjoyable! More than just another textbook, this supplement to your curriculum traces the history of mathematics principles and theory; features simple algebra, geometry, and scientific computations; and offers practical tips for everyday math use. Includes biblical examples, fun activities, chapter tests, and lots of illustrations and diagrams. 160 pages, softcover from New Leaf.
Champions of Math
By John Hudson Tiner / New Leaf Press (master Books)
The great minds of the past are still with us today in many ways. Individuals who explored the natural world hundreds and thousands of years ago have given us a treasure of knowledge in all the sciences. In this exciting series from educator/author John Hudson Tiner, short biographies of the world's most gifted thinkers will inspire the leaders of tomorrow. Learn how Pythgoras investigated mathematics through his affinity for music. Marvel at the "new math" Leonardo Fibonacci learned from the Moors in North Africa. These valuable learning guides will give students accurate accounts of lives from the annals of science, and explain what those scientists believed about the world around them.