A time existed long ago when parents of preschoolers didn't expect their five-year-old to show mastery of algebraic thinking. Sure, we may have tugged our kids onto our laps so we could read aloud from Eric Carle’s Rooster’s Off to See the World, but we would not expect our preschooler to pick up on the one-two-three-four pattern. Yet research suggests that kids love books. At Kids Konnect we know preschoolers can absorb math skills. Here we check out three more books to boost math skills.
The experts at The Best Children’s Books.org have list upon list, not just by academic subject but by niches in subjects such as:
- Addition
- Fractions
- Graphing
- Measurement
They also, of course, have lists of dinosaur and pirate books. But their number books guide us to Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales. Rooted in Mexican culture, the book draws on Day of the Dead imagery (still a kids book!) as Grandma Beetle delays departing with a visitor to count out various items (and her grandchildren) in English and Spanish. The twist on this? The visitor is Death (yes, it is a multiple award-winning children’s book!) who is charmed by her wild party for her grandkids and leaves without her.
Geometry
Karen Nagel’s book, Shapes That Roll, is beautifully and whimsically illustrated by Steve Wilson. It shows geometric plane (2D) figures displaying their attributes; some roll, some stack, some stand up. You and your preschooler can watch the antics and discuss the shapes as you're guided through their wacky world by a triangle, circle and square who deliver their lesson in rhyming text amidst high-gloss, appealing colors.
Measurement
Tana Hoban, who also wrote math photo-concept books like Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue?, brings a math book down to its essence in Is It Larger? Is It Smaller? Preschoolers who cannot be bothered with words yet will love this wordless picture book. The simple idea is to make comparisons of objects. Preschoolers as young as three can enjoy interacting with a book (an essential reading skill and something that must be taught) while deciding about comparative sizes of everyday objects (umbrellas, trucks, tubas, etc.)
What great preschool math books are in your house? At Kids Konnect, we enjoy hearing from you. Please comment below.