Books You Can Count On: Linking Mathematics and Literature

One difficult aspect of teaching mathematics in the early grades is tying the subject to other areas of the curriculum, particularly the central core language arts. Mathematics need not―indeed it should not―stand alone, nor must it be allied only to science.

In Books You Can Count On, teachers can explore opportunities for relating math to reading. This teaching resource for primary schools provides a wide range of ideas for teaching mathematics through literature and can be used with any math program. The book includes: a mathematical overview, background information, notes on classroom organization, assessment, and evaluation, and lesson outlines based on forty different stories and poems. Each activity includes a synopsis, preparation for teaching, mathematical aims, evaluation notes, and suggestions for extension; mathematical themes such as size, classification, and spatial relations; and a list of further references.

Margaret Clyne is a primary school teacher. She is currently an English Consultant who is also working in both literacy and numeracy in Victorian schools.