Math + Reading = Fun and Learning!

I'm so glad Marygrove College has started this linky party on literacy during math time. When I was receiving my degree from them a few years ago, one of my courses focused heavily on using literature in the content areas and I realized I wasn't doing a good enough job of that. So, I went out and bought a ton of math picture books. I was so excited to put them in my classroom library... but finding time to actually use them like I should... well... it just couldn't happen often enough. And then, this summer, I read about math workstations!

And when I started organizing my Debbie Diller inspired Math Workstation tubs (which I might need your help on in a post or two!), I disassembled that basket in my library and divvied up the books into the different tubs.

The result is that I am actually using the books to reinforce math concepts and my students are actually reading them too!

I have several great sets of math picture books. I have these three from Lakeshore Learning that I was able to get funded on Donor's Choose!


I have other books too that I put in the math workstations- Math Curse, Goldilocks and the Three Squares, The Grouchy Ladybug, Cookie's Week, Ten Apples Up on Top, and lots more. Some of the books I do not read to them- I just put in the workstation bin. Others I will read before I put in the bin.

I also have made activities for several of the book. For Cookie's Week, students have "days of the week" cards to sequence after reading. Right now my 1st graders are learning about time, so in workstation bin #1 (which is the one that will always have books in it), one of the stories is The Grouchy Ladybug with some little clocks so they can use their clocks as they read the story.

Integrating books made for math along with books that are just easy to use along with math topics is a great way to help kids make connections to what they are learning to the real world... and is just plain fun. My students like reading the math books because they like math... which make a teacher's heart so happy!

Please head over to Marygrove College's blog to join their linky party and share how YOU encourage literacy during your math time. As someone new to the world of workstations, I'd LOVE to hear your take on things!