Help kids love math? Even your child?
Yes, it is possible!   
 
(For best results, start young and have math manipulatives on hand)

I’ve spoken to several School groups, parents’ groups, and others around the country about how to help kids love books, and everything I’ve said about books applies to math as well.  I’ve tutored math for several years and have seen first hand how the right approach can turn the most math-phobic child into a math lover.

I truly believe anyone can develop a love of math.  And believe me, I was NOT one of those math geniuses in elementary school.  I didn’t get a grip on my multiplication tables till I was in my 30’s and home schooling my own kids.

One great thing you can do is to make numbers and patterns fun.  Point out how the number of brownies in the pan can be found by multiplication.  Clap patterns with your pre-schooler. Play board games together. Talk in a happy way as you share the math you use in shopping, cooking and life.  Pretty soon they’ll be begging for a piece of the action.  =)

Here are my Loving Math book recommendations!

Mathmania books, by Highlights Magazine.

Similar to a magazine subscription, these books arrive in the mail about every 6 weeks and are full of fun math games and puzzles. They cover all elementary school levels.

George’s Secret Key to the Universe, and sequels by Stephen and Lucy Hawking

In case you don’t know yet- Stephen Hawking is a seriously brilliant physicist who makes science accessible to regular people. He wrote these with his daughter.


*Murderous Maths (entire series) by Kjartan Poskitt

A hilariously irreverent British series about vulgar fractions, phantom X, and desperate measures.

How Much is a Million? By David Schwartz

Picture book.  A math-magician shows the meaning of a million.  Great pictures.

One Hundred Angry Ants by Elinor Pinczes

Fun math lessons in a picture book

Sir Cumfrence and the First Round Table by Cindy Newschwander

Geometry in King Arthur’s court– picture book

*Binary Numbers by Clyde Watson
Your kids can amaze you by understanding binary code after one reading.  For adults who never got it, here’s the explanation you missed in easy picture book format. This book is out of print, but you can usually find a used copy on Amazon.  Highly recommended.
Mind Benders by Critical Thinking Press
Logic puzzles for everyone from 8 years old and up.  There’s a warm-up book to teach the process and then levels A, B and C.  Some of the level C puzzles stumped my husband and me.
The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat, by Theoni Pappas
All the cool math and number things they never tell you about in school, like Fibonacci numbers, Mobius strips, fractals and tangrams, for 5th through 12th grades
The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzenberger
A math adventure similar to Through the Looking Glass, in novel format– for middle and highschool students.  All the cool stuff teachers forget to mention.

G is for Google: A Math Alphabet Book, and Q is for Quark: A Science Alphabet Book both by David Schwartz

These middle to highschool level picture books are fun to read for the whole family.  Simple explanations of complicated matters.

Coincidence, Chaos, and All That Math Jazz, by Edward Burger
A comedy-club style math book for all those who think they don’t like the subject, with lots of illustrations and fun.  Yes, fun!
*These are books that go above and beyond in being fun while stretching Junior’s (and parent’s) math minds.  =)