Read your way to a love of math: 50 titles for ages 4-12

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Written by Jamie Martin of Simple Homeschool

For the past few weeks we’ve explored math study from a different perspective, asking two important questions: Why do we do what we do when it comes to this subject? Are there other valid approaches to consider?

Past posts in this math series:
* A different way to look at math
* Out of the box math inspiration

An alternative to workbook pages in the early years is the simple sharing of a book spread open across your lap. It’s one of the easiest ways to create a blossoming love of numbers and patterns in a child’s heart and mind.

I started to put together a massive list of books for you to choose from in today’s post, but then I stopped to consider what I would have found most helpful when I was getting started as a slightly-insecure homeschooling mama.

I realized that I would have loved to have a handful of well-chosen math titles, recommended by a blogger I trusted.

I’ve tried to provide that for you here, highlighting the resources we’ve found most enjoyable in our own family – as well as including a list of other popular books you may want to check out.

Enjoy the journey as you read your way to a love of math!

Bedtime Math

Who is it for? Ages 4-12

What a fun addition (get it?!) this resource is for your math-learning littles.

Sign up to receive a daily email with a math question, or get one of the three published Bedtime Math books: Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late; Bedtime Math: This Time It’s Personal; or Bedtime Math: The Truth Comes Out.

The beauty of bedtime math is that there are questions geared to a variety of learning-levels, making it something you can use for your preschoolers all the way to your pre-teens!

Life of Fred

Who is it for? Ages 6-College

Since I started this math series, I’ve been asked the same question several times: “I’d like to approach math differently, but what can I do if I have to provide documentation for my state and/or my kids have to take a standardized test?”

My top recommendation for those in the above situation would be to explore Life of Fred Math, a curriculum that goes from early elementary all the way through college level math–but in a very different way to the norm!

Used in a structured or formal way, you’d be able to approach math creatively but still be able to provide the documentation you need to meet your local requirements.

Like any resource, Life of Fred isn’t for everyone. But my kids love it, and I love that I can read math aloud at the lunch table!

(Note: You can explore the curriculum here, but the cheapest place I’ve found to purchase Life of Fred is through Educents.)

Mathemagic

Who is it for? Ages 4-12

Mathemagic is Volume 13 of a kids’ encyclopedia series that used to be produced by Childcraft. It is full of inspiring math stories, clever puzzles, riddles, and games–perfect for reading aloud or putting on the shelf for your kiddos to flip through.

(Math study aside, we have a used set of several Childcraft volumes and hardly a day goes by that I don’t see a child with one of the titles tucked under their arm in our home–so colorful and fun! No longer in print, check for them on Amazon or Ebay.)

Mathematicians Are People, Too

Who is it for? Ages 8-12

This is a fascinating collection of short stories about the lives of the great mathematicians throughout history–often including the details about how they developed their groundbreaking theories and discoveries.

A perfect way to show our kids what passion for math looks like, this series contains two volumes.

Sir Cumference Series

Who is it for? Ages 7-11 (give or take)

The Sir Cumference books introduce foundational geometry concepts through adventurous stories–radius and diameter, data collection, perimeter, area, and pi all make an appearance in this growing series (currently eight books).