Why Read-Alouds Bring Magic to Math

PLUS a bonus game to have fun building overall fluency with numbers!

We are hardwired for stories. From our earliest years to our golden years, we all love a good tale. Stories bring us together, grabbing our attention and leading us on a journey of thought and emotion. This deep personal engagement is something that we don’t always imagine being a part of math class. We learn procedures, we notice patterns, and we learn to make sense of numbers. But with a math-related read-aloud, we invite more joy and emotional connection into math learning. It’s a powerful tool that can breathe life into math lessons, spark curiosity, and make learning an adventure.  

A couple of things about the value of read-alouds. First, kids at all levels love them. If you don’t believe me, ask a high school English teacher what happens to student engagement during a read-aloud. They listen. They get invested in the story. Engagement soars. We never outgrow read-alouds.  

Secondly, listening to a good story has amazing benefits for kids of all ages. A good read-aloud . . . 

• Boosts Language Skills: Exposure to new vocabulary and proper grammar through listening strengthens a child's overall language skills. 

• Improves Comprehension: Following along with a story helps students develop better listening comprehension, which is crucial for academic success. 

• Sparks Imagination & Creativity: Stories fire up a child's imagination and creativity, letting them explore new worlds and ideas. 

• Fosters a Love of Reading: Regular read-alouds create positive associations with books, making children more likely to become enthusiastic readers themselves. 

• Builds Knowledge: A wide range of read-alouds can introduce students to new topics, cultures, and historical periods, broadening their knowledge base. 

• Strengthens Social-Emotional Learning: Stories can deal with emotions, social interactions, and real-life challenges, helping students develop social-emotional intelligence. 

Ok, ok, so read-alouds are a good thing. But math class? Doesn’t this belong in reading time and in reading or English class?  While picture books might seem more at home in a language arts class, incorporating math-themed read-alouds into your math curriculum can be a game-changer. Here's why: 

• Engagement Boost: The best math instruction can sometimes feel a bit dry and procedural. A well-chosen story injects excitement and ignites imaginations. Suddenly, math concepts aren't abstract – they're part of a pirate treasure hunt, a journey through space, or a character’s understanding of the world! 

• Building Bridges for All Learners: Read-alouds are inclusive. Everyone can follow the story, regardless of their independent reading ability. This creates a level playing field and allows everyone to grasp the core concepts. 

• Context is King: Math problems often feel like exercises in a vacuum. Read-alouds provide real-world context, making math concepts relevant and relatable. Students can see how math applies to everyday life, from sharing cookies fairly to building a treehouse. 

• Unveiling Misconceptions: A good math read-aloud can spark discussions that reveal hidden misconceptions students might have. By talking through the story together, the teacher can address these misconceptions head-on before they become a roadblock to learning. 

• Confidence Creators: Not everyone loves math. Read-alouds can create a more positive and welcoming environment for students who might feel anxious about the subject. By connecting math to stories, they can start to see it as something fun and approachable. 

Ready to Give a Math Read-Aloud a Try? 

Here are some suggestions to get you started: 

Read-Aloud Ideas by Grade Level: 

• Kindergarten & 1st Grade:  

• How Many Snails? by John Archambault (Counting) 

• The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns (Shapes) 

• Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews (Patterns) 

• The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds (Shapes) 

• 2nd & 3rd Grade:  

• One Is a Feast for a Mouse by Judy Barrett (Addition & Subtraction) 

• Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Knightly Numbers by Cindy Neuschwander (Multiplication & Division) 

• The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Fractions Book by Jerry Smath (Fractions) 

• If You Were a Fraction by Trisha Speed Shaskan (Fractions) 

• Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst 

• 4th & 5th Grade:  

• Math Curse by Jon Scieszka (Problem-solving) 

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (Logic & Reasoning) 

• The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by Hans Magnus Enzensberger (Number Theory) 

• Secondary: 

• The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa 

• Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott 

• A Certain Ambiguity: A Mathematical Novel by Gourav Suri 

• Uncle Petros and Golbach’s Conjecture by Apostolos Doxiadis 

• The Indian Clerk, A Novel by David Leavitt 

And there are many more great math read-alouds to discover!  

Hope you have fun with it! Using expression will bring the characters and the story to life. You can also stop at key points to discuss the math concepts woven into the story. Help students connect the dots and see how the math in the story relates to what they're learning in class. 

So next time you're planning your math lesson, don't underestimate the power of a good story. Make a visit to the library, and get ready to see a story grab their attention and help them see the beauty of math! 

Bonus Game - Tower of Power

This game will have learners practicing all operations using mental math (or paper if that works better!) to finish their pyramid before other players! This game was a favorite in our kid-testing!

Tower of Power

Game for late 3rd grade through 8th grade  

2-4 players

Skills: Building fluency in adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing  

Play using all cards 0-20 and all 8 wide cards: Each player is dealt five cards face up in a row. The remaining cards are placed face down to be used as a draw pile. Players will attempt to complete a pyramid by placing cards in successive rows, building on the five bottom cards. On the first turn, a player takes a card from the draw pile. That card can be played above and between two of the five base cards if the two base cards can be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided to reach the number on the drawn card. If the card cannot be played, the player keeps that card in their hand for future play.  If the card cannot be played, play moves to the next player. On each turn, a player can place one of the cards in their hand (if they have acquired unplayable cards) or draw another card and play that card if it is playable. For the first/base row of cards only, players can switch card positions in order to play a card they have drawn, as long as the cards moved do not have any cards above them yet.  Wild cards can be used for any number 0-20. When a wild card is played, it retains the value chosen by the player as the pyramid is completed. (If helpful, the player can use a small sticky note on the wild card for future reference.) 

The player who first completes their pyramid wins the round. Cards are shuffled, and play starts again with a different player going first.