I had always been a fan of bringing stories into math class; however, as a fifth-grade teacher, it was hard to convince a group of almost–middle schoolers that a children’s book could be full of interesting, grade-level ideas to explore. More often than not, when I began reading aloud, I could tell right away that the vibe was off and that they saw it as too babyish.
At first, I assumed the problem was the book itself. Over time, though, as I learned more about mathematizing from Allison Hintz and Tony Smith, I came to realize that the issue wasn’t what I was reading, but how I was framing the experience. I was making the book’s concept the thing, rather than centering the story and the mathematical practices involved in mathematizing. And while the concept is extremely importa…
I had always been a fan of bringing stories into math class; however, as a fifth-grade teacher, it was hard to convince a group of almost–middle schoolers that a children’s book could be full of interesting, grade-level ideas to explore. More often than not, when I began reading aloud, I could tell right away that the vibe was off and that they saw it as too babyish.
At first, I assumed the problem was the book itself. Over time, though, as I learned more about mathematizing from Allison Hintz and Tony Smith, I came to realize that the issue wasn’t what I was reading, but how I was framing the experience. I was making the book’s concept the thing, rather than centering the story and the mathematical practices involved in mathematizing. And while the concept is extremely important when choosing a book, the facilitation really can make or break the experience.
Around that same time, I was incredibly fortunate to step into a role as a K–5 math specialist, where I had the opportunity to partner with an amazing reading specialist, Erin. Together, we tried out different books across grade levels and content areas, reflected on those experiences, and took up interactive read alouds as a way to blur the lines between content, habits of mind, and capacities. Through this work, I not only learned a great deal about teaching ELA, but also came to understand mathematizing as a way to invite students to see mathematics everywhere, including within stories that don’t appear to be mathy at all!
The Why
Mathematizing is a process of inquiring about, organizing, and constructing meaning with a mathematical lens (Fosnot & Dolk, 2001). Through mathematizing, students:
- have access to mathematics
- see math when and where it may not be obvious
- see mathematics as a way to make sense of things
- see math as a way of thinking, not solely a way of doing
- focus on meaning-making
The What: Books
Choosing a Book
If you are a K-1 teacher, I am sure you already have an expansive book collection! As you look through your library, consider how different stories might invite mathematical thinking. Some books center math directly in the plot, others offer rich illustrations to examine, and some simply create situations that spark mathematical curiosity—even if the math lives quietly beneath the surface.
If you are having trouble choosing, I have highlighted some of my favorite books in the table below!
| Concept | Book Suggestions |
|---|---|
| Counting and Cardinality | I Spy a Dinosaur’s Eye by Jean Marzollo Truman by Jean Reidy Grumpy Bird One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab by April Pulley Sayre & Jeff Sayre Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno *Ten Ways to Hear Snow *by Cathy Camper One Fox by Kate Read How Many? by Christopher Danielson |
| Geometry | This is a Ball by Beck & Matt Stanton City Shapes Square Cat by Elizabeth Schoonmaker The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds More-igami by Dori Kleber Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni |
| Addition and Subtraction | The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins There Is a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems Double Those Wheels by Nancy Raines Day |
| Composing Decomposing Comparing Numbers | Lia & Luis: Who Has More? by Ana Crespo Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison (also great for counting & add/subtraction) 12 Ways to Get to 11 by Eve Merriam |
| Measurement and Data | Curious Comparisons by Jorge Doneiger *The Animals Would Not Sleep! *by Sara Levine |
| Other Lovely Books! | *Count on Me *by Miguel Tanco The Look Book by Tana Hoban Playful Puzzles for Little Hands by Taro Gomi |
The How: Interactive Read Aloud
Now that you have a book in mind, it is time to structure the read aloud experience. Don’t worry, there’s no single path for engaging students in a mathematical read aloud. Instead, think of it as a series of intentional moments that help students notice, wonder, build curiosity, and explore the mathematics within a story. Here are some helpful lessons learned that helped me improve in my interactive read alouds:
Let the story be the story. The first reading is an opportunity for students to listen, imagine, and enjoy. Without pausing to analyze, students can make sense of the narrative and build a shared experience around the text.
Listen closely to students’ thinking. After the reading, invite students to share what they noticed or wondered. Their ideas, mathematical or not, offer important windows into how they are making sense of the story. Recording these thoughts allows them to remain visible and valued.
Revisit the text. Returning to the story, or to particular pages, creates space to look more closely at the mathematics that emerged. This second look helps surface relationships, quantities, and structures that may have gone unnoticed the first time. Allison and Tony give great structures for planning this in their book and in the Supporting Materials section on that same page.
Honor students as question askers. While we should have an idea of the math we want students to engage in from the book, it is also extremely important to encourage students to pose their own mathematical questions inspired by the text. When students generate the questions, the mathematics feels purposeful and connected to their own thinking.
Create time to explore the math. Follow the read aloud with an activity that either emerges from students’ questions or deepens the ideas you want to highlight.
Conclusion
Ultimately, an interactive mathematical read aloud is less about following a script and more about encouraging sensemaking. The goal isn’t to squeeze math out of a book, but to create conditions where students naturally notice, question, and explore the mathematics already living in the pages. Over time, these intentional moments help students see math as something they do and make sense of, not just something that shows up in a textbook. Try one of these ideas in your next read aloud, and let me know how it goes, I’d love to hear what your students notice and wonder!
Examples
If you want to check out some examples before jumping right in, I have blogged about it a bit in these posts! Next time I will focus on some of my favorites in grades 2-5!