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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.

Addition and Subtraction War - addition, subtraction

Blackjack (21) - addition, numbers up to 21, strategy

Carcassone - addition, skip counting, puzzle skills, strategy

Cribbage - addition, multiplication, numbers up to 121

Cuisenaire Rod Games - addition, awareness of what numbers actually mean through hands-on experience

Milles Borne - addition, numbers up to 1,000

Monopoly - addition, subtraction, how to make change, large numbers, financial concepts (such as mortgage, bankruptcy, etc)

 

Parcheesi - numbers, addition, memory for special rules, sportsmanship

Poker - strategy, analytical thinking, risk vs. reward (if played with poker chips), 

Settlers of Catan - addition, strategy, risk management

Settlers of Catan Dice Game - addition, strategy

Sorry - numbers, memory for special rules, sportsmanship

Sum Swamp - addition, subtraction, understanding of math problems and symbols, odd and even

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.

Elementary Grades 

Life of Fred Elementary Set #1: Apples, Butterflies, Cats, and Dogs by Stanley Schmidt

Bedtime Math (Volume 1 only, as the subsequent ones were not as enjoyable for us) by Laura Overdeck

Life of Fred Elementary Set #2: Edgewood, Farming, Goldfish, and Honey by Stanley Schmidt

Math and Magic in Wonderland by Lilac Mohr

Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories From the Lives of Great Mathematicians (Volumes 1 and 2) by Luetta and Wilbert Riemer

Life of Fred Intermediate Series: KidneysLiver, and Mineshaft by Stanley Schmidt

 

Middle Grades 

Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick

The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

 

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham 

Life of Fred: Fractions by Stanley Schmidt

Life of Fred: Decimals and Percents by Stanley Schmidt

 

High School and Parents/Educators

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott

On Numbers by Isaac Asimov

The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason

Math Picture Books

Anno's Magic Seeds by Mitsumasa Anno

 

Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar by Mitsumasa Anno

Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D'Agnese

One Grain of Rice by Demi

Pythagoras and the Ratios by Julie Ellis

What's Your Angle, Pythagoras? by Julie Ellis

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordecai Gerstein

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky

Pyramid by David Macauley

The Brooklyn Bridge by Elizabeth Mann

The Hoover Dam by Elizabeth Mann

Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens by Cindy Neuschwander

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander 

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander

Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland by Cindy Neuschwander

Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter by Cindy Neuschwander

Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone by Cindy Neuschwander

To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers by Wendie Old

How Much is a Million by David Schwartz

Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Suess

Math for All Seasons: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles by Greg Tang 

My Brothers' Flying Machine: Wilbur, Orville, and Me by Jane Yolen

Math Supplies

General math supplies that encourage math exploration at home. ​

Cuisenaire rods - our favorite math manipulatives

Ruler, measuring tape, and tape measure

Graph paper

Geometrical compass

Scientific calculator

Stop watch

Abacus

Desk cycle - the display shows speed and distance, which my kids find fascinating to experiment with

Measuring cups and spoons

Outdoor thermometer

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)

Tangrams

Pattern blocks and boards

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. 

K​umon Workbooks (the pre-k and early elementary books are fantastic; the later books were NOT preferred by my children)

 

The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Book in the World - Books 1-4

Cliffs Study Solver Basic Math and Pre-Algebra

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