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MATH CURRICULUM AND RESOURCES
These are our favorite math games, books, supplies, and workbooks.
We have personally used and enjoyed everything listed here.
Math Games
Games are to math as books are to reading! Ways to modify many of these games for younger players are listed here.
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Addition and Subtraction War - addition, subtraction
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Blackjack (21) - addition, numbers up to 21, strategy
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Carcassone - addition, skip counting, puzzle skills, strategy
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Cribbage - addition, multiplication, numbers up to 121
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Cuisenaire Rod Games - addition, awareness of what numbers actually mean through hands-on experience
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Milles Borne - addition, numbers up to 1,000
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Monopoly - addition, subtraction, how to make change, large numbers, financial concepts (such as mortgage, bankruptcy, etc)
Parcheesi - numbers, addition, memory for special rules, sportsmanship
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Poker - strategy, analytical thinking, risk vs. reward (if played with poker chips),
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Settlers of Catan - addition, strategy, risk management
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Settlers of Catan Dice Game - addition, strategy
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Sorry - numbers, memory for special rules, sportsmanship
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Sum Swamp - addition, subtraction, understanding of math problems and symbols, odd and even
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Uno - numbers, colors, addition and subtraction (if playing add-and-subtract variant)
Yahtzee - addition, multiplication, strategy, and writing
Math Chapter Books
These are listed roughly in order by age appropriateness, from early elementary to adult.
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Elementary Grades
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Life of Fred Elementary Set #1: Apples, Butterflies, Cats, and Dogs by Stanley Schmidt
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Bedtime Math (Volume 1 only, as the subsequent ones were not as enjoyable for us) by Laura Overdeck
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Life of Fred Elementary Set #2: Edgewood, Farming, Goldfish, and Honey by Stanley Schmidt
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Math and Magic in Wonderland by Lilac Mohr
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Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories From the Lives of Great Mathematicians (Volumes 1 and 2) by Luetta and Wilbert Riemer
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Life of Fred Intermediate Series: Kidneys, Liver, and Mineshaft by Stanley Schmidt
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Middle Grades
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Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
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The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
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Life of Fred: Fractions by Stanley Schmidt
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Life of Fred: Decimals and Percents by Stanley Schmidt
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High School and Parents/Educators
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Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott
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On Numbers by Isaac Asimov
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The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
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Math Picture Books
Anno's Magic Seeds by Mitsumasa Anno
Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar by Mitsumasa Anno
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Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D'Agnese
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One Grain of Rice by Demi
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Pythagoras and the Ratios by Julie Ellis
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What's Your Angle, Pythagoras? by Julie Ellis
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The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordecai Gerstein
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The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman
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The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
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Pyramid by David Macauley
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The Brooklyn Bridge by Elizabeth Mann
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The Hoover Dam by Elizabeth Mann
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Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens by Cindy Neuschwander
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Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander
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Sir Cumference and the First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander
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Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland by Cindy Neuschwander
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Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter by Cindy Neuschwander
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Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone by Cindy Neuschwander
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To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers by Wendie Old
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How Much is a Million by David Schwartz
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Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Suess
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Math for All Seasons: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles by Greg Tang
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My Brothers' Flying Machine: Wilbur, Orville, and Me by Jane Yolen
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Math Supplies
General math supplies that encourage math exploration at home. ​
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Cuisenaire rods - our favorite math manipulatives
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Ruler, measuring tape, and tape measure
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Graph paper
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Geometrical compass
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Scientific calculator
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Stop watch
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Abacus
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Desk cycle - the display shows speed and distance, which my kids find fascinating to experiment with
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Measuring cups and spoons
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Outdoor thermometer
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Artist tape and Sharpies - for creating number lines on walls and tables (artist tape is better than painter's tape for being able to stay in place for months, yet not damage paint once removed)
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Tangrams
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Pattern blocks and boards
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Math Workbooks
These are the math workbooks that my kids have enjoyed the most. NOTE: I do NOT force or require my kids to use their workbooks; the workbooks are just on-hand for free exploration of math.
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K​umon Workbooks (the pre-k and early elementary books are fantastic; the later books were NOT preferred by my children)
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My Book of Numbers 1-30
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My First Book of Money: Counting Coins
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My Book of Number Games 1-70
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My Book of Easy Telling Time
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My Book of Money: Dollars and Cents
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The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Book in the World - Books 1-4
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Cliffs Study Solver Basic Math and Pre-Algebra
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