New to using books for teaching Math? Fret not, we got you covered!
Table of Contents
Here are some tips for your next read in a Math class:
Before reading
It is a huge waste to jump right into the book without leading into the lesson. Besides settling the students down mentally into learning mode, we also want to prime their minds for the mathematical content we have in store.
Check for prior knowledge.
This can be through a quick quiz, discussion, video, game – the possibilities are endless!
The key is to keep this segment short. You just want to refresh their memory and do some quick recap if they are not certain.
This ensures that everyone is on the same page (pun intended) before we dive into the book together!
Ask them to guess what the book is about.
This question could be asked by cueing the book title or the visuals on the book cover.
You could also ask more specifically about a word in the title, especially if it is a math vocabulary word that they will be learning about!
Example: For the book ‘A Remainder of One’, we could ask, “What do you think ‘remainder’ mean?”
This discussion should be kept to a minimum too, just enough to pique their interest for the book.
If there are any inputs that you know will be revisited later, be sure to do a mental note of who and what was said (see section on ‘After reading‘). You can also write it on the whiteboard. This shows the kids that their thoughts are valued!
Pose a context-setting question.
An optional to-do, but it can help to anchor the focus of the lesson when we ask a question (or two) for them to think about as you go through the book later.
Of course, we don’t want this question to be a spoiler for the story.
Example: For the book ‘Equal Schmequal’, a pre-book question could be, “What is equal in this book?” This keeps the class on their toes, on the lookout for equality though they would not know what quite to expect. At the same time, it doesn’t reveal much about the book since the word is in the book title itself!
If you’re unsure what question(s) to pose, try working backwards:
What is the key takeaway you hope to create for the lesson?
Trust us, it gets easier the more you work on this!
While reading
Now, we are ready to turn the page! Using a book in a Math lesson is not just reading a book aloud. Do a little plan of the process so that you know exactly when to pause for questions, activities or even reactions!
Create avenues for engagement.
This could be in various forms, depending on the book, your style and preference and the learners’ profile. Here are some considerations on what the kids could do!
- Jot down details to a question you’ve asked them to think about.
- Role-playing of the story – pick actors from your class and they can read the dialogue!
- Follow along with the story with little manipulatives – this is especially nice if there are different stages or representations.
Example: For the book ‘Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! A Mathematical Story’, we could use cubes or draw to show each combination of the tables and chairs.
Keep the questions going (and coming).
Have questions even amidst the story.
“Would you do the same if you were her?”
“What do you think will happen next?”
“Do you have any ideas on how to solve the problem?”
On the flipside, welcome their questions, allowing others to respond. You can also respond, but don’t reveal what’s about to happen!
Plan out your board work beforehand.
Are there any equations, symbols, words or diagrams you want to display on the board?
Thinking this through allows us to write them on the board prior to the reading, or have them prepared on cards so that we do not disrupt our reading momentum too much.
Another use of the board space could be to record thoughts contributed by the students.
After reading
As with any mathematical teaching, plan how you would explain the concept. This eases the extension of learning beyond the story.
Discuss the earlier inputs.
This includes mentioning relevant guesses on story prediction (“So, Dolly was right! The book is about the numbers making friends!”) and meanings for math vocabulary (“Earlier, Steve said that fractions are smaller than numbers. What do all of you think, now that we have read the story?”).
Each time you make a reference is an opportunity to spotlight a different student, making him or her feel valued! The premise for this is a safe class environment so that even if their inputs are up for debates, the discussion is an intellectual one (rather than to ridicule at others).
At the same time, this allows you to transit from closing the book to the mathematical focus.
Introduce an extension or variation of the problem solved in the book.
Problem solving is at the heart of learning mathematics.
Having read a book, you don’t even have to create a context for the problem!
An easy way is to tweak just one element in the story’s problem and keep the rest. Get them to brainstorm and solve it. It could also be the main character posing them a problem!
Such an activity reinforces the learning and changes them from passive learners to active ones.
A timed challenge? A group task?
The sky’s the limit! Bonus if they get to practice mathematical language or representations!
Ask if they enjoyed the book.
There are several benefits to asking this. As your learners are made to consciously evaluate how they felt about the book, you glean insights on what type of books they enjoy.
Remember to acknowledge that it is fine to say “I didn’t really enjoy this.” After all, we are allowed to have our own opinions (respectfully, of course)!
But after reading a variety of math books, even the most reluctant learner in your classroom is bound to enjoy at least one, and that is a positive shift in attitude towards mathematics!
Asking them for their opinion also shows that you value their thinking. We definitely want to validate their thoughts and encourage them to verbalize their thinking more often in mathematics. You can also invite them to share what they liked or disliked. Their perspectives might surprise you!
Make it a routine
If you intend to use books more in your lessons, it would definitely pay off to set a routine in place! These may overlap with the class rules and routines you already have. Be sure to customize one that you can maintain and grow with! Some thoughts:
- Seating layout. Do they need to move or change seats to see the visuals on the book?
- Collecting and distributing manipulatives or worksheet resources. Efficiency is the aim!
- Respect the speaker (whether the narrator, the person role-playing, someone answering or asking a question). That also means having one voice at a time.
- A safe environment to speak up and out. There should not be judgements for comments.
- Answering questions. You could establish how many responses you would take per question asked, say three. And to manage expectations that they will not always get called each time they put up their hands. Having this conversation saves you time and effort from repeating each time you read!
- Reflection/feedback about the book and lesson. Do you want to set up a bulletin board for this channel? Or a document you could repeatedly print and use. Or simply, have a thumbs response.
Conclusion
You certainly don’t have to do everything, but these can get you started on your book-and-teaching journey!
As with anything and everything, practice (the word every math teacher is bound to say at some point) makes perfect! So don’t worry if you feel like you need more time to plan with your first few books. It DOES get easier!
Be sure to check out some of our book reviews for specific activities you can do!
Don’t see a Math book or topic you have in mind? Give us a nudge here!