Below is a list of math related themes to consider for the classroom or library. These themes can be used for an entire storytime, a mini lesson, or combined with another theme. Book suggestions are included!
Beginner's Concepts
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Comparisons:
Big vs Small; Greater than, Less than, & Equal to
Shapes & Geometry:
Circle & Sphere; Rectangle & Square; Symmetry; Triangles; Patterns; Lines
Math & Numbers Themes
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Special Numbers:
0; 1; 2; 3; 5; 10; 100; 1,000; 1 million; infinity
Operations:
Counting; Adding; Subtracting; Division by 2 (Halfing)
Life Applications: Time; Cooking & Measuring; Weighing & Size; Money
Even & Odd Numbers
Counting in Spanish
Authors & Characters Math Themes
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Pete the Cat: Math is Groovy
PtC & His Four Groovy Buttons, PtC's Got Class, PtC & the Missing Cupcakes
Creature Math With Eric Carle
The Grouchy Ladybug; 1, 2, 3 To the Zoo; 10 Little Rubber Ducks; The Very Hungry Caterpillar; Rooster's Off to See the World
Mac Barnett's Shape Trilogy
Triangle, Circle, & Square
Sandra Boynton's Counting Board Books For Lil Ones
Hippos Go Berserk!; One, Two, Three!; Fifteen Animals!; Doggies
Seasonal & Subject Math Themes
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Math Under the Sea
Fish Eyes; Deep Within the Ocean; Ocean Counting (Odd Numbers); Pattern Fish; One Giant Splash; The Three Little Fish & The Big Bad Shark; Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea; Ten Little Fish; The Blue Whale; I'm the Biggest Thing In the Ocean!; One Lonely Fish: A Counting Book With Bite!; Five Little Fishes
Wild Numbers in the Jungle
Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3; Two Ways to Count to Ten; Count the Monkeys; Counting Crocodiles; Eight Silly Monkeys; Ten Sly Piranhas; Wild About Shapes
Spring into Math: Gardens & Bugs
Counting in the Garden; Lots of Ladybugs!; How Many Snails?; Flowers & Showers: A Spring Counting Book; Pattern Bugs; Countdown to Spring!; Counting With Ladybug; Ten Little Caterpillars; Over In the Meadow; Cleo's Counting Book; One Mole Digging a Hole; The Twelve Days of Springtime; One Hundred Hungry Ants; The Ants Go Marching
Cooking Up Tasty Math
Spaghetti & Meatballs For All; Pizza Counting; The Sundae Scoop; Pigs in the Pantry; Feast For 10; Seaweed Soup; Just Enough Carrots; Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!; 1 Big Salad; Garden Safari Vegetable Soup; From the Garden: A Counting Book About Growing Food
Fisher & Sneed's Math Days
My Even Day, One Odd Day, My Half Day
Chilly Winter Math
Missing Mittens; The Twelve Days of Winter; Five Little Penguins Slipping On the Ice; Lemonade in the Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money; Pete the Cat 12 Groovy Days of Christmas
Smart Saving & Spending
If You Made a Million; Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday; Once Upon a Dime; One Cent, Two Cents, Old Cent, New Cent: All About Money (Cat in the Hat's Learning Library); The Berenstain Bears' Dollars and Sense; The Berenstain Bears' Trouble with Money; Bunny Money (Max & Ruby); Money, Money, Honey Bunny!; My Granny Went to Market; Lemonade in the Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money
Summertime Math
Toasty Toes, One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab; Equal Shmequal; Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure; Bears At the Beach: Counting 10 to 20; Seaweed Soup; Super Sand Castle Saturday
Barnyard Math
Double the Ducks; Whole-ly Cow!: Fractions Are Fun; Potato Joe; Eggs and Legs; One Little Chicken: A Counting Book; Horse and Hen Count to Ten; Big Fat Hen; 20 Hungry Piggies: A Number Book; Counting Cows; Rosie's Walk; When Sheep Cannot Sleep
Too Many Birds
Counting Crows; Quack & Count; 365 Penguins; Quack Quack, Come Back; A House For Birdie; One Chicky, Two Chicky; Count Your Chickens; Ducks Away!
Measurements & Size
Inch By Inch; Counting On Frank; Inchworm & a Half; Millions to Measure; How Big Is A Foot?; Who Sank the Boat; Balancing Act
Dinosaur Math
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs; Shape By Shape (Dino Shapes); How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?; How High Can a Dinosaur Count?; Counting Dinosaurs; Ten Tiny Dinosaurs
Do the Monster Math
Monster Math; Monster Musical Chairs; Go Away, Big Green Monster!; The Counting Monster Book; How Many Monsters?; One Hungry Monster; 10 Little Monsters; Too Many Monsters!; My Very Silly Monster 123s
It's About Time
I.Q., It's Time; A Second Is a Hiccup; The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock; It's About Time; The Clock Struck One; What Time Is It, Mr. Crocodile?
Building & Construction
Jack the Builder; When I Build With Blocks; Construction Countdown; Push! Dig! Scoop!; Billions Of Bricks; The Little Blue Digger & the Strongest Truck
Musical Math
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin; The Shape Song Swingalong; Counting Cows; Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown; Knick Knack Paddy Whack; The Ants Go Marching
Math On the Go!
123 New York: A Cool Counting Book; On the Launch Pad; Race Car Count; Twenty Big Trucks In the Middle Of the Street; Beep Beep, Vroom Vroom!; Construction Countdown; All Aboard for the Bobo Road
Countdown to Bedtime
Goodnight Moon 123; Roll Over!: A Counting Song; Five Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed; Ten, Nine, Eight; Rabbit's Pajama Party; When Sheep Cannot Sleep: The Counting Book; Goodnight, Numbers!; There Were Ten In the Bed