Here is a list of spectacular books to teach kids math. In fact, if you surround your kids with these picture books about math, not only will they effortlessly pick up math concepts, but they just might learn to love math along the way.
According to Tutor Doctor, the top five reasons students struggle with math are attention difficulties, math builds on previous concepts, concepts are learned but not understood, lack of practice or patience, and when am I ever going to use this? These were all reasons why I hated math when I was in school. When I began homeschooling my kids (a million years ago) I was determined that my kids would feel differently about math. Because of that, I am always on the lookout for books to teach kids math in a way that they will understand it…and maybe even learn to love it.
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Books that Teach Algebra for Young Kids
What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?
Ready to introduce your kids to algebra? This book will show you how the Pythagorean theorem works and why we need it. This post has a bunch of fun activities where your kids will get to actually prove the theorem themselves!
Pythagoras and the Ratios: A Math Adventure
This book is a great introduction to the connection between math and music. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find very many resources on this topic geared for kids.
Two Minute Music Theory Video is a great video for older students (12&up)
This book teaching about the importance of place value and how it helps us count to higher numbers and keep track of those numbers. This post has a fun, hands-on activity where kids get to make their own beadboard…just like in the book.
This is a fun introduction to Tangrams.
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table
You kids will learn about circumference, diameter, and radius in this fun book about how a king solved the problem of placing his knights around the table.
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi
An introduction to the concept of Pi for kids.
Sir Cumference and All the King’s Tens: A Math Adventure
Sir Cumference and the Roundabout Battle
Sir Cumference and the Fraction Faire
Sir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert
Full House: An Invitation to Fractions
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All
This has been of favorite of mine and my kids for years. What happens when you plan a huge dinner party for your friends and family, but don’t have enough room to seat them all?
Storybooks that Teach About Multiplication and Division
Multiplying Menace: Revenge of Rumplestilskin
The Multiplying Menace Divides
Books for Kids About Exponential Growth
These next three books tell the same story…what happens when you start with a single grain of rice and double it every day for thirty days? Kids love seeing the power of exponential growth in this story. Choose your favorite, or go wild and get all three!
One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale
Books About Real-Life Mathematicians
The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos
This is a fun storybook about a quirky boy who grows up to change the world of mathematics.
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
“This colorfully illustrated biography of the Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthenes, who compiled the first geography book and accurately measured the globe’s circumference”
Books About Women and Math
The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague
“After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted―finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever.”
Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13
“From Katherine’s early beginnings as a gifted student to her heroic accomplishments as a prominent mathematician at NASA, Counting on Katherine is the story of a groundbreaking American woman who not only calculated the course of moon landings but, in turn, saved lives and made enormous contributions to history.”
Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain
“When her parents took away her candles to keep their young daughter from studying math…nothing stopped Sophie. When a professor discovered that the homework sent to him under a male pen name came from a woman…nothing stopped Sophie. And when she tackled a math problem that male scholars said would be impossible to solve…still, nothing stopped Sophie.”
Mathematicians Are People Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians
Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians, Vol. 2
Books to Help Your Kids Love Math for Older Kids
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure
This is hands-down the best math book I’ve ever read. It is hilariously funny with clever illustrations that will keep your kids spellbound…even though it is all about math. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
The Great Number Rumble: A Story of Math in Surprising Places
What happens when you remove math from school entirely? Nothing good as friends Jeremy and Sam soon find out.
I hope you enjoy this list of books to help your kids love math. Show them the fun in math. Show them the necessity of math, and most importantly, show them they are using math every single day…even if they don’t realize it!
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Do you have any great book recommendations to share? Be sure to leave them in the comments!
