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Elementary
Math Resources
K-5 Math Read Alouds
Below is a compiled list of our favorite books to use in the classroom for specific Math topics of instruction. Children's literature helps students connect their knowledge, interests, and experiences to the mathematical content they learning to apply.
We will update this bookshelf each quarter to give you titles that will be relevant to the season and time of year in your classroom.
The Twelve Days of Winter
Deborah Lee Rose
One teacher is very inventive with the activities and materials that she uses in the classroom. Colorful and filled with opportunities to count, it also makes a connection to seasonal science.
Ten on the Sled
Kim Norman
A humorous snowy tale reminiscent of the rhyme, “Ten in the Bed.” Perfect for work with ten-frames, beginning subtraction, or ordinal numbers.
The Mitten Tree Candace Christiansen
An elderly woman notices that some of the neighborhood children don’t have mittens and decides that her knitting talents might help fix the problem. A lesson in unselfish giving, this book can also be used to build and investigate patterns.
The First Day of Winter Denise Fleming
The gifts that arrive during the first ten days of winter are used to construct a special surprise. The illustrations invite the reader to locate and count the items.
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Give Me Half!
Stuart Murphy
(Fractions)
Throughout the navigation of their day, two siblings explore the unit fraction, ½. Colorful and clear in presentation, this book works well for younger students or as an introduction to unit fractions.
What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?
Julie Ellis
(Geometry)
Pythagoras is a curious boy who enjoys exploring the geometry present in the world around him. As Pythagoras learns about right angles and angle measurement, the reader will as well.
More Than One
Miriam Schlein
(Counting and Number Sense)
A colorful counting book that transcends the norm. Focusing on the number one, it investigates instances when one might actually mean MORE than one.
Grandfather Tang’s Story Ann Tompert
(Geometry)
One day, a grandfather delights his granddaughter with a story. Told with tangram pieces, the reader follows the recompositions of the puzzle as the story unfolds.
Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar Mitsumasa Anno
(Place Value and Operations)
Beautifully illustrated, this title shows how a simple jar of water can lead to more. A simple presentation and sequence that will lead to deep discussions about factorials.
