Great Resources for Families Interested in Math
Just as reading to children sends an important message, the same can be said for mathematics. Parents' attitudes
toward mathematics have a direct impact on children's attitudes. Children whose parents show interest and
enthusiasm for mathematics around the home will be more likely to develop their own enthusiasm. One of the
best ways to foster positive attitudes towards mathematics is to engage in mathematical activities with your
child. The following resources can help get you started. Math can and should be fun!
Books Containing Mathematical Activities
Beyond Facts and Flashcards: Exploring Math with Your Kids
By Jan Mokros. Portsmouth NH: Heinemann, 1996.
This book is for parents who are looking to explore Math with their kids. It offers fun easy games and
investigations to do at home that will help children become successful Math learners. The book also explains, in
an easy to read format how each activity relates to Mathematics, what’s reasonable to expect a child to
understand, and how to ask questions that elicit and support children’s learning.
Eenie Meenie, Miney Math: Math Play for You and Your Preschooler
By Linda Allison and M. Weston. Boston: Little Brown, 1993.
This is an especially good resource for parents whose school children have younger siblings. It has plenty of
suggestions for doing Mathematics with everyday routines like cooking and laundry sorting.
Exploring Everyday Math: Ideas for Students, Teachers, and Parents
By Maja Apelman and Julie King, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1993.
While the primary audience for this comprehensive book is teachers, it provides excellent activities linking home
and school Mathematics. It also has suggestions for how parents can be involved in their children’s Mathematics
education.
The I Hate Mathematics! Book
By Marilyn Burns. Boston: Little Brown, 1982.
Presented with great humor and lots of cartoon illustrations, this book proves that Mathematics is not just
arithmetic, and that Mathematics can be lots of fun. It offers hundreds of wonderful riddles, magic tricks,
experiments, puzzles, games, gags, and things to do that all connect in some way with mathematical reasoning.
Math for Smarty Pants
By Marilyn Burns. Boston: Little Brown, 1982.
There’s more reading in this book than in The I Hate Mathematics! Book, but it has a similar humorous tone
and similar fascinating puzzles, games and experiments with number, geometry, and logic, using calculators,
calendars, cards, coins, dice, pencils and other things you’re sure to have at home. This is a tough read for young
and reluctant readers, but parents can read aloud the short problem situations.
The Book of Think (or How to Solve a Problem Twice Your Size)
By Marilyn Burns. Boston: Little Brown, 1976
Another gem from Marilyn Burns. In this book the reader is asked to explore different strategies to approach
problem solving. Like all of her books, it is humorously written and fun for the whole family.
Games for Math
By Peggy Kaye. New York: Pantheon Books. 1987.
This book provides lots of easy and fun activities to do at home with kindergarten through third graders.
Family Math
By Jean Kerr Stenmark, Virginia Thompson and Ruth Casey. University of California Press, 1986.
This book is an excellent resource for parents. It provides activities and games in a lesson format. The book
covers all areas of Mathematics including number, measurement, probability, time, money, geometry, patterns
and estimation in a way that is both fun and thought provoking.
Books about Reform
Helping Your Child Learn Math
By Patsy Kanter. Lexington, MA: DC. Heath, 1993
This book explains in clear language the goals of the reform movement in mathematics education and how these
relate to the national education goals for the year 2000. Activities involving Math at home are suggested.
Mathematics: Facing an American Phobia
By Marilyn Burns
This book looks at why most Americans dislike mathematics and lack the confidence in their own mathematical
abilities. Through humor and vignettes, the book asks the reader to examine what he/she believes about the
teaching and learning of mathematics and the effect it has on children.