University of Kwazulu-Natal

10 Board Books That Teach Early Math Concepts

Bonisiwe Shabane
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10 board books that teach early math concepts

Reading books to babies and toddlers don't just support literacy, they set the stage for learning math concepts. Books for this age focus on simple math concepts like counting and patterns. They include bold illustrations that encourage lap sitters to find and recognize shapes and relative sizes. (Note: this post contains affiliate links that earn from qualifying purchases.) Demonstrating that counting can be fun is great well to help kids develop a positive relationship to math! Don't worry about making sure your little one can repeat the numbers in order, though!

Rest assured, you little one is learning through observation. Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang. This is one of my absolute favorite board books. I loved reading it to both my boys at night time and I can still recite it from memory. I even included it in my list of toddler books I'll miss reading. A young girl counts items in her room as she gets ready for bed.

"10 small toes all soft and warm. 9 soft friends in a quiet room," all the way down to "1 big girl all ready for bed." Math students often have a hard time understanding abstract math concepts. Enhancing your lessons with books about math for kids will help make connections while having fun in the process. Motivate your students while introducing new concepts, reinforcing ideas, and talking about all things math with some of our favorite books. We have you covered through the year with lots of elementary math topics using these children’s math books.

Marco needs to get his stuffed animals organized before bedtime. He tries sorting them in lots of different ways, but they just won’t settle down. Kids will be clamoring to give him ideas! A beautifully illustrated book about math that shows how flips, slides, and turns can create amazing symmetrical images. Definitely add this to your list of children’s math books to introduce patterns. This fiction and nonfiction hybrid covers many types of patterns, including simple visual patterns, sound patterns, patterns in nature, and more.

Play Brain Dash 60 Addition: Put your addition skills to the test in this math game. You’ll often hear adults exclaim, “I hate math!” or “I’m not good at math!” But, we don’t want preschoolers to think those thoughts before they’ve really gotten to understand basic math concepts. And that’s where this book list comes in, 15 picture books with PreK math concepts is a great way to introduce STEM ideas to young kids in a fun and interactive way. Counting, recognizing patterns, knowing shapes, and measuring things are all math concepts that kids can begin practicing when they are young! If you’re looking for even more great suggestions check out 14 Picture Books to Introduce Math Concepts or my storytime themes on counting, measurement, and patterns. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.

Please read the full disclosure for more information. It’s bedtime for Marco and his stuffed animals, but the animals have other ideas. When Marco tries to put them away, they fly, swim, and slither right out of their bins! Can Marco sort the animals so everyone is happy? A playful exploration of sorting and classifying that combines math with empathy. Olivia wants to make a colorful birdhouse for summer.

She starts painting a pattern of stripes on the roof but then oops!—messes up. Now what? Explore patterns in this playful story about creative problem-solving. Math books for kids paired with supporting preschool math activities are a powerful combo for preschoolers. Kids love a good story—and when that story includes counting cookies or spotting shapes at the park, they’re all in. Picture books have a way of making math concepts come to life and feel relatable, so why not include have a set of children’s books for every math concept we teach in preschool?

Well, I’m going to share some of our favorites! If your traditional preschool math activities aren’t getting traction in your classroom, then maybe try adding in some math picture books. Maybe your preschoolers need stories, laughter, and a chance to get their hands moving. This list of books can bring early math concepts into the classroom without any pressure, just play. One minute, the class is giggling over a bear who can’t count his socks; the next, they’re off finding matching socks in the dramatic play center. This kind of learning fits right into everyday routines and gives children a reason to talk about math without even realizing they’re doing it.

And math talk has loads of benefits! Whether it’s counting, comparing, or noticing patterns, it all starts with a story—and ends with a whole lot of excited preschoolers. Read this: Daily Lessons in Preschool Mathematics Curriculum. Math picture books for preschoolers should be visually appealing, interactive, and engaging. They often incorporate playful rhymes and colorful illustrations to capture a child’s attention. by Colleen Uscianowski Maas & Herbert Ginsburg

Picture books offer many opportunities to explore and develop children’s mathematical thinking. Discover educational and entertaining picture books for early math learners with our recommended reading list. View the collection of math reading guides. Storybooks provide a rich opportunity to build not only literacy skills, but also math understanding. Books with math concepts woven into the pictures and storylines can promote children’s mathematical thinking and introduce foundational math concepts such as numbers, shapes, patterns, and measurement. Asking questions and making observations about the math found in picture books can support children’s curiosity and enjoyment of math.

Like many engaging pieces of children’s literature, the math picture books recommended below contain fun and interesting storylines. Many are rooted in topics kids love (like animals, dinosaurs, magic, oceans, and more!). Published: October 26, 2021 | Last Updated on: May 12, 2023 | by Dr Hemapriya One of the best ways to introduce math to your child is with the help of these fun Books for Early Math Skills. Your kids are sure to love these! When your little one is a baby or a toddler, you think of all the ways you can encourage him or her to learn.

You get books about ABCs, sing nursery rhymes and play peek-a-boo. The last thing on your mind is teaching your baby math! However, mathematics is everywhere, and whether you realize it or not, babies and toddlers are learning math as they play. Everyday interactions and play teach them elementary concepts about mathematics. If you’d like to give this learning a boost from an early age, you can start with books. In fact, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute considers books to be a great way to bring a subject like Math to life.

Math is all around us, and to a young child, it can bring a sense of wonder and curiosity. You can encourage these through books written by experts that are specially targeted at young children. Books for young kids should be engaging, colorful and fun – that’s the only way to build a love for mathematics at the start. Adults often ask kids what their favorite subject is, and once we get past the responses of “lunch” and “recess,” we tend to see a trend between two major subjects: math or reading. One way is to use picture books to teach math concepts – it’s the best of both (reading and math) worlds. Great picture books about math engage readers, foster creativity and teach important concepts.

Many authors have caught on to this idea, so the amount of math-focused picture books is ever-increasing. See our 10 recommendations for picture books that will teach, review, and reinforce math concepts in the classroom and at home. Uno, Dos, Tres: One Two Three By Pat Mora This bilingual counting book uses charming illustrations that are based on Mexican culture. This beautiful book provides opportunities for identifying numbers and counting items. Whether your child is new to math, reluctant about math or absolutely loves math, these children’s books about math are for you!

** As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. ** Parents often think of math and reading as two separate endeavors. We teach our kids to count and do basic addition and subtraction and separately teach kids to read. But put the two together – math and reading – and you have a magical formula that can increase kids’ knowledge of numbers while at the same time promoting literacy skills.

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