Bringing Stories to Life: Integrating Literature and Math Manipulatives Lotta C. Larson, Chepina Rumsey
As the Common Core State Standards demand increased academic rigor, quality children’s literature and manipulatives provide effective ways to support both literacy and mathematics instruction.
During the average school day, most teach-ers work extended hours and struggle to ad-equately cover all content areas. Although this has long been the case, demands stemming from the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices [NGA Center] & Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], 2010a, 2010b) have increased academic expecta- tions and rigor, particularly in the areas of literacy and mathematics. Traditionally, mathematics and English language arts (ELA) instruction have been viewed as disjointed subjects, taught at different times throughout the school day (Yilmaz & Topal, 2014). However, raising literacy and mathematics achievement cannot be accomplished within iso- lated content areas. To prepare students for career readiness, we must emphasize that authentic prob- lems and experiences are multifaceted and not con- stricted to 45- minute blocks. In real life, students will make connections between disciplines and ap- ply cross- curricular knowledge (Uy & Frank, 2004) within the social world. Providing students with an active, hands- on role by embedding learning in au- thentic experiences within a social setting is further supported by well- known researchers such as Dewey (1902, 1916) and Vygotsky (1978).
Using Children’s Literature to Teach Mathematics Teachers can use children’s literature to help stu- dents make connections across disciplines. The benefits of common reading experiences such as shared reading or reading aloud are not exclusive to literacy development; they can also carry into other disciplines, such as mathematics. Children’s litera- ture can offer students a glimpse into the daily use
of mathematics for many different purposes while helping them relate mathematics to their own lives and inspiring them to explore mathematical con- cepts further (Tucker, Boggan, & Harper, 2010).
Children’s literature used for teaching mathe- matics comes in different forms, including counting books, books addressing specific math content, and books without specific math content. Shatzer (2008) explained that teachers should select quality books with literacy and mathematics connections to share with their students and design hands- on extension activities that further explore connections between literacy and mathematics. Engaging students in ac- tive learning processes, such as the use of math ma- nipulatives, can help them connect concepts and integrate knowledge (Clements, 2000) and can also serve as a prewriting exploration of ideas (Hecker, 1997).
Although the benefits of integrating literacy and mathematics instruction have long been document- ed (e.g., Countryman, 1992; Wilcox & Monroe, 2011), the implementation of the Common Core State Standards has revived the notion of interdisciplin- ary instruction while emphasizing that students’ lit- eracy development is a shared responsibility (Buehl, 2011). However, as pointed out by Allen (2012), the Common Core does not offer teachers “instructional strategies to help students meet these standards… this is the common ground that needs our contin- ued focus” (para. 2). The purpose of this article is
TEACHING TIP
The Reading Teacher Vol. 71 No. 5 pp. 589–596 doi:10.1002/trtr.1652 © 2017 International Literacy Association
Lotta C. Larson is an associate professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education at Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA; e-mail [email protected].
Chepina Rumsey is an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, USA; e-mail [email protected].
590
TEACHING TIP
The Reading Teacher Vol. 71 No. 5 March/April 2018 literacyworldwide.org
to provide teachers ideas and strategies for meeting both ELA and mathematics standards. We will first share a lesson vignette that strategically integrates the use of math manipulatives and Virginia Kroll’s (2005) Equal Shmequal, followed by additional sugges- tions for using children’s literature to address ELA and mathematics standards.
Equal Shmequal in Action We are teacher educators who frequent elementary classrooms, and we recently shared Equal Shmequal with a small group of second- grade students. The goal was to explore how this book, along with a bal- ance scale and base- ten blocks, can be used to sup- port both literacy and mathematics standards. In Equal Shmequal, animals find ways to equally orga- nize teams in a game of tug- of- war. At first, they categorize teams as meat eaters versus plant eaters, animals with or without fur, and big animals against small animals. Finally, teams are created fairly by using a seesaw to balance the animals’ weights.
Learning Goals and Connections to Standards From a mathematical perspective, Equal Shmequal of- fers a natural segue into an exploration of a relational view of the equal sign (1.OA.7; NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010b). A relational view emphasizes a relation be- tween quantities across the equal sign, rather than viewing an equal sign as a symbol that prompts stu- dents to perform an operation and record an answer. The book also lends itself to comparing numbers based on an understanding of place value and using symbols to record their results (2.NBT.4; NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010b). These are important learning goals for primary students, to prepare for operations using larger numbers and early algebraic reasoning in the upper elementary grades.
Focusing on ELA instruction, the book encour- aged the second graders to “analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text” (CCRA.R.3; NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010a, p. 10), and more specifically, “de- scribe how characters in a story respond to ma- jor events and challenges” (RL.2.3; NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010a, p. 11). Using Equal Shmequal as a mentor text, students composed informational/ explanatory texts conveying their understanding of comparing quantities. The students also met Speaking and Listening standards by “tell[ing] a
story or recount[ing] an experience with appropri- ate facts and relevant, descriptive details” (SL.2.4; NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010a, p. 23) and by “add[ing] drawings or other visual displays…to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings” (SL.2.5; NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010a, p. 23).
Bringing the Story to Life With Manipulatives While the second graders were listening to the story, a balance scale (which we had placed on the table but not formally introduced to the students) piqued their interest. As the story progressed, they spon- taneously added pencils and other small objects to the trays of the balance scale to represent the plot. Noticing students’ interest in the scales, we supplied them with base- ten blocks, which further prompted them to mirror the unfolding of the plot. At a point in the book where three small animals gather on one side of the seesaw and three large animals on the other, the students represented the situation with three tens on one side and three ones on the other. As shown in Figure 1, not only did they respond to the story using blocks, they also depicted the fact that 30 is greater than 3, even though there are ex- actly three blocks on each side.
At their own initiative, students eagerly acted out the plot with manipulatives. To further connect literacy and math, we asked guiding questions:
Figure 1 Acting Out the Story
Note. The color figure can be viewed in the online version of this article at http://ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com.
591
TEACHING TIP
The Reading Teacher Vol. 71 No. 5 March/April 2018 literacyworldwide.org
■ If both sides of the balance scale have three [base-ten] blocks, why are they not equal?
■ How can we write a number sentence to repre- sent your balance scale?
■ How does your balance scale represent the plot and characters in the book?
Following the use of the balance scale to com- pare two quantities, we asked students to compare other numbers and explain their reasoning. We prompted them to select two numbers, explain their thinking in writing, and make connections to the story. Recognizing that writing is often enhanced if students first draw the sequence and events of their stories (Hecker, 1997), we also asked them to add il- lustrations. The students were asked the following guiding questions as they were working:
■ How do you know which quantity is greater? ■ What number sentence could represent this
situation? ■ How are these base-ten blocks like the animals
in the story?
Examples of Student Work Alyssa (all names are pseudonyms), an outgoing 8- year- old, explained that the left side of her seesaw lowered because “a bear and eight deers are heavier than a deer and eight mice” (see Figure 2). Adding arrows and a caption to her illustration further sup- ported her oral reasoning.
Hunter, a contemplative 7- year- old, also used the balance scale to compare quantities. When asked about his work, he explained that “a hundred flat is like a bear so that side will go down, the ten rods are like deers, and the ones are like mice.” As shown
in Figure 3, Hunter’s written text offers insights into his ability to “write informative/explanatory text… use facts and definitions to develop points, and pro- vide a concluding statement” (W.2.2; NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010a, p. 19).
In these examples, both Alyssa and Hunter re- sponded to the book by writing informational/ explanatory text, adding illustrations and symbols, and clarifying ideas in small- group discussions. Though each student independently composed an illustrated text, it is worth noting that they collab- orated and communicated to develop and articu- late their thinking. As a result, they tackled math- ematical concepts while working toward mastery of multiple literacy standards collaboratively. Hence, literacy skills have the potential to build students’ understanding of mathematical concepts and “lan- guage arts skills give students tools for questioning their and their peers’ understanding of presented mathematics” (Yilmaz & Topal, 2014, p. 3720).
Integration of Literacy and Mathematics The Equal Shmequal lesson presents a brief glimpse into endless possibilities for integrating children’s literature and mathematical manipulatives to meet both ELA and mathematics standards. In this case, base- ten blocks and a balance scale were used to explore the relational understanding of the equal sign. Stories that address geometric shapes, such as Grandfather Tang’s Story by Ann Tompert, may be supported by tangrams or pattern blocks. Table 1 of- fers additional suggestions for children’s literature
Figure 2 Alyssa’s Writing
Figure 3 Hunter’s Writing
592
TEACHING TIP
The Reading Teacher Vol. 71 No. 5 March/April 2018 literacyworldwide.org
Bo ok
Le ss
on p
ro ce
du re
s
Su gg
es te
d A
nc ho
r St
an da
rd (s
) fo
r R ea
di ng
Su gg
es te
d A
nc ho
r St
an da
rd (s
) f or
W
rit in
g
Po ss
ib le
m at
h co
nc ep
ts , C
om m
on
C or
e St
an da
rd s
an d
M at
he m
at ic
al P
ra ct
ic es
Po ss
ib le
m
an ip
ul at
iv es
G ui
di ng
q ue
st io
ns
(t o
m on
ito r
co m
pr eh
en si
on ,
bu ild
k no
w le
dg e,
a nd
su
pp or
t p re
w rit
in g)
Eq ua
l Sh
m eq
ua l
by V
irg in
ia
Kr ol
l
St ud
en ts
w ill
… 1.
Re ad
o r l
is te
n to
th e
st or
y. 2.
U se
b as
e- te
n bl
oc ks
an
d ba
la nc
e sc
al e
to
co m
pa re
q ua
nt iti
es to
su
pp or
t u nd
er st
an di
ng
of h
ow id
ea s/
ev en
ts
de ve
lo pe
d in
th e
st or
y. 3.
U se
b oo
k as
m en
to r
te xt
to w
rit e
a si
m ila
r st
or y
us in
g di
ff er
en t
an im
al s
as c
ha ra
ct er
s bu
t s til
l f oc
us in
g on
co
m pa
rin g
qu an
tit ie
s. 4.
S ha
re th
ei r w
rit in
g an
d/ or
re as
on in
g w
ith
an a
ud ie
nc e.
C C
RA .R
.3 :
“A na
ly ze
ho
w a
nd w
hy
in di
vi du
al s,
ev
en ts
, or
id ea
s de
ve lo
p an
d in
te ra
ct o
ve r
th e
co ur
se o
f a
te xt
.”
C C
RA .W
.2 : “
W rit
e in
fo rm
at iv
e/ ex
pl an
at or
y te
xt s
to
ex am
in e
an d
co nv
ey
co m
pl ex
id ea
s an
d in
fo rm
at io
n cl
ea rly
a nd
ac
cu ra
te ly
th ro
ug h
th e
ef fe
ct iv
e se
le ct
io n,
or
ga ni
za tio
n, a
nd
an al
ys is
o f c
on te
nt .”
C on
ce pt
: E qu
al ity
St
an da
rd : 1
.O A
.7 :
“U nd
er st
an d
th e
m ea
ni ng
o f t
he e
qu al
si
gn , a
nd d
et er
m in
e if
eq ua
tio ns
in vo
lv in
g ad
di tio
n an
d su
bt ra
ct io
n ar
e tr
ue o
r f al
se . F
or
ex am
pl e,
w hi
ch o
f t he
fo
llo w
in g
eq ua
tio ns
ar
e tr
ue a
nd w
hi ch
a re
fa
ls e?
6 =
6 , 7
= 8
– 1,
5 +
2
= 2
+ 5,
4 +
1 =
5 +
2. ”
Pr ac
tic e:
“2 . R
ea so
n ab
st ra
ct ly
a nd
qu
an tit
at iv
el y.”
Ba se
– t en
bl
oc ks
, ba
la nc
e sc
al e
1. Ex
pl ai
n w
hy th
e an
im al
s th
ou gh
t th
ei r t
ea m
s w
er e
no t e
qu al
. H ow
di
d th
ey m
ak e
th ei
r t ea
m s
eq ua
l? 2.
U si
ng a
b al
an ce
sc
al e,
h ow
d o
yo u
kn ow
w hi
ch
qu an
tit y
is
gr ea
te r?
3. H
ow c
an y
ou
us e
bl oc
ks a
nd
w rit
e a
nu m
be r
se nt
en ce
to
re pr
es en
t e ve
nt s
fr om
th e
bo ok
? Sp
ag he
tt i
an d
M ea
tb al
ls
fo r A
ll! b
y M
ar ily
n Bu
rn s
St ud
en ts
w ill
…
1. Re
ad o
r l is
te n
to th
e st
or y.
2. U
se s
qu ar
e til
es
to re
pr es
en t M
rs .
C om
fo rt
’s ar
gu m
en ts
ab
ou t m
ov in
g ta
bl es
. 3.
In w
rit in
g, d
es cr
ib e
th e
di ff
er en
t w ay
s a
gi ve
n nu
m be
r o f t
ab le
s ca
n be
a rr
an ge
d an
d ho
w
ea ch
a rr
an ge
m en
t af
fe ct
s se
at in
g. 4.
S ha
re th
ei r w
rit in
g an
d/ or
re as
on in
g w
ith
an a
ud ie
nc e.
C C
RA .R
.8 :
“D el
in ea
te
an d
ev al
ua te
th e
ar gu
m en
t an
d sp
ec ifi
c cl
ai m
s in
a te
xt ,
in cl
ud in
g th
e va
lid ity
o f t
he
re as
on in
g as
w
el l a
s th
e re
le va
nc e
an d
su ff
ic ie
nc y
of th
e ev
id en
ce .”
C C
RA .W
.1: “W
rit e
ar gu
m en
ts to
s up
po rt
cl
ai m
s in
a n
an al
ys is
of
s ub
st an
tiv e
to pi
cs o
r t ex
ts u
si ng
va
lid re
as on
in g
an d
re le
va nt
a nd
s uf
fic ie
nt
ev id
en ce
.”
C on
ce pt
: A re
a an
d pe
rim et
er
St an
da rd
: 4 .M
D .3
: “ Ap
pl y
th e
ar ea
a nd
p er
im et
er
fo rm
ul as
fo r r
ec ta
ng le
s in
re al
– w or
ld a
nd
m at
he m
at ic
al p
ro bl
em s.”
C
on ce
pt : M
ul tip
lic at
io n
St an
da rd
: 3 .O
A .1:
“In
te rp
re t p
ro du
ct s
of
w ho
le n
um be
rs , e
.g .,
in te
rp re
t 5 ×
7 a
s th
e to
ta l n
um be
r o f o
bj ec
ts
in 5
g ro
up s
of 7
o bj
ec ts
ea
ch .”
Pr ac
tic e:
“4 . M
od el
w ith
m
at he
m at
ic s.”
O ne
– in ch
sq
ua re
ti le
s 1.
W ha
t w as
M rs
. C
om fo
rt ’s
bi gg
es t
co nc
er n
in th
e st
or y?
W hy
d id
sh
e sa
y th
at
m ov
in g
th e
ta bl
es
w ou
ld n’
t w or
k? 2.
A s
ta bl
es w
er e
pu sh
ed to
ge th
er
in th
e st
or y,
w ha
t ob
se rv
at io
ns d
o yo
u m
ak e?
3. H
ow c
an y
ou u
se
sq ua
re ti
le s
to
re pr
es en
t e ve
nt s
fr om
th e
bo ok
?
Ta bl
e 1
Le ss
on Id
ea s f
or In
te gr
at in
g EL
A a
nd M
at he
m at
ic s
(c on
tin ue
d)
593
TEACHING TIP
The Reading Teacher Vol. 71 No. 5 March/April 2018 literacyworldwide.org
(c on
tin ue
d)
Ta bl
e 1
Le ss
on Id
ea s f
or In
te gr
at in
g EL
A a
nd M
at he
m at
ic s (
co nt
in ue
d)
Bo ok
Le ss
on p
ro ce
du re
s
Su gg
es te
d A
nc ho
r St
an da
rd (s
) fo
r R ea
di ng
Su gg
es te
d A
nc ho
r St
an da
rd (s
) f or
W
rit in
g
Po ss
ib le
m at
h co
nc ep
ts , C
om m
on
C or
e St
an da
rd s
an d
M at
he m
at ic
al P
ra ct
ic es
Po ss
ib le
m
an ip
ul at
iv es
G ui
di ng
q ue
st io
ns
(t o
m on
ito r
co m
pr eh
en si
on ,
bu ild
k no
w le
dg e,
a nd
su
pp or
t p re
w rit
in g)
O ne
Is a
Sn
ai l,
Te n
Is a
C ra
b by
A pr
il Pu
lle y
Sa yr
e an
d Je
ff Sa
yr e
St ud
en ts
w ill
…
1. Re
ad o
r l is
te n
to th
e st
or y.
2. W
hi le
re ad
in g,
u se
pa
pe r p
ic tu
re s
of
ch ar
ac te
rs (s
na ils
, cr
ab s,
in se
ct s,
e tc
.) or
co
lo re
d co
un te
rs to
re
pr es
en t n
um be
rs .
3. W
rit e
nu m
be r
se nt
en ce
s to
re pr
es en
t m
ul tip
le w
ay s
to s
ho w
30
(o r o
th er
n um
be r).
4. E
xp la
in h
ow m
ul tip
le
re pr
es en
ta tio
ns o
f th
e sa
m e
nu m
be r a
re
eq ua
l ( e.
g. , 3
0 is
3 c
ra bs
or
10 p
eo pl
e an
d a
cr ab
). 5.
S ha
re th
ei r w
rit in
g an
d/ or
re as
on in
g w
ith
an a
ud ie
nc e.
C C
RA .R
.1:
“R ea
d cl
os el
y to
d et
er m
in e
w ha
t t he
te
xt s
ay s
ex pl
ic itl
y an
d to
m ak
e lo
gi ca
l in
fe re
nc es
fr
om it
; c ite
sp
ec ifi
c te
xt ua
l ev
id en
ce
w he
n w
rit in
g or
s pe
ak in
g to
s up
po rt
co
nc lu
si on
s dr
aw n
fr om
th
e te
xt .”
C C
RA .W
.2 : “
W rit
e in
fo rm
at iv
e/ ex
pl an
at or
y te
xt s
to
ex am
in e
an d
co nv
ey
co m
pl ex
id ea
s an
d in
fo rm
at io
n cl
ea rly
a nd
ac
cu ra
te ly
th ro
ug h
th e
ef fe
ct iv
e se
le ct
io n,
or
ga ni
za tio
n, a
nd
an al
ys is
o f c
on te
nt .”
C on
ce pt
: N um
be rs
St
an da
rd s:
K .C
C .3
: “W
rit e
nu m
be rs
fr om
0
to 2
0. R
ep re
se nt
a
nu m
be r o
f o bj
ec ts
w ith
a
w rit
te n
nu m
er al
0 –2
0 (w
ith 0
re pr
es en
tin g
a co
un t o
f n o
ob je
ct s)
.” K.
O A
.3 : “
D ec
om po
se
nu m
be rs
le ss
th an
o r
eq ua
l t o
10 in
to p
ai rs
in
m or
e th
an o
ne w
ay ,
e. g.
, b y
us in
g ob
je ct
s or
dr
aw in
gs , a
nd re
co rd
ea
ch d
ec om
po si
tio n
by
a dr
aw in
g or
e qu
at io
n (e
.g ., 5
= 2
+ 3
a nd
5 =
4
+ 1)
.” C
on ce
pt : I
nt er
pr et
nu
m er
ic al
e xp
re ss
io ns
St
an da
rd : 5
.O A
.1: “U
se
pa re
nt he
se s,
b ra
ck et
s,
or b
ra ce
s in
n um
er ic
al
ex pr
es si
on s,
a nd
ev
al ua
te e
xp re
ss io
ns
w ith
th es
e sy
m bo
ls .”
Pr ac
tic e:
“7 . L
oo k
fo r a
nd
m ak
e us
e of
s tr
uc tu
re .”
Tw o-
co lo
r co
un te
rs
or p
ap er
pi
ct ur
es o
f ch
ar ac
te rs
1. Ex
pl ai
n ho
w /
w hy
th e
sa m
e nu
m be
r c an
b e
re pr
es en
te d
in
m an
y di
ff er
en t
w ay
s. 2.
In th
e bo
ok , 5
is
a do
g an
d a
sn ai
l. H
ow e
ls e
ca n
yo u
re pr
es en
t 5 ?
3. H
ow c
an w
e w
rit e
nu m
be r
se nt
en ce
s to
re
pr es
en t t
he
nu m
be rs
in th
e bo
ok ?
594
TEACHING TIP
The Reading Teacher Vol. 71 No. 5 March/April 2018 literacyworldwide.org
Ta bl
e 1
Le ss
on Id
ea s f
or In
te gr
at in
g EL
A a
nd M
at he
m at
ic s (
co nt
in ue
d)
Bo ok
Le ss
on p
ro ce
du re
s
Su gg
es te
d A
nc ho
r St
an da
rd (s
) fo
r R ea
di ng
Su gg
es te
d A
nc ho
r St
an da
rd (s
) f or
W
rit in
g
Po ss
ib le
m at
h co
nc ep
ts , C
om m
on
C or
e St
an da
rd s
an d
M at
he m
at ic
al P
ra ct
ic es
Po ss
ib le
m
an ip
ul at
iv es
G ui
di ng
q ue
st io
ns
(t o
m on
ito r
co m
pr eh
en si
on ,
bu ild
k no
w le
dg e,
a nd
su
pp or
t p re
w rit
in g)
Th e
Bo y
W ho
L ov
ed
M at
h: T
he
Im pr
ob ab
le
Li fe
o f P
au l
Er dő
s by
D
eb or
ah
H ei
lig m
an
St ud
en ts
w ill
…
1. Re
ad o
r l is
te n
to th
e st
or y.
2. S
eq ue
nt ia
lly re
co rd
ev
en ts
fr om
th e
st or
y on
a ti
m el
in e.
3. E
xp la
in h
ow
m at
he m
at ic
s/ nu
m be
rs a
ff ec
te d
Pa ul
’s ev
er yd
ay li
fe a
nd
th in
ki ng
. 4.
In w
rit in
g, s
ha re
a ti
m e
w he
n m
at he
m at
ic s/
nu m
be rs
h av
e af
fe ct
ed
th ei
r o w
n liv
es o
r th
in ki
ng .
C C
RA .R
.5 :
“A na
ly ze
th e
st ru
ct ur
e of
te xt
s,
in cl
ud in
g ho
w s
pe ci
fic
se nt
en ce
s,
pa ra
gr ap
hs ,
an d
la rg
er
po rt
io ns
o f
th e
te xt
(e .g
., a
se ct
io n,
ch
ap te
r, sc
en e,
o r
st an
za )
re la
te to
ea
ch o
th er
an
d th
e w
ho le
.”
C C
RA .W
.3 : “
W rit
e na
rr at
iv es
to d
ev el
op
re al
o r i
m ag
in ed
ex
pe rie
nc es
o r e
ve nt
s us
in g
ef fe
ct iv
e te
ch ni
qu e,
w el
l- ch
os en
d et
ai ls
, a nd
w
el l- s
tr uc
tu re
d ev
en t
se qu
en ce
s. ”C
C RA
.W .4
: “P
ro du
ce c
le ar
an
d co
he re
nt
w rit
in g
in w
hi ch
th
e de
ve lo
pm en
t, or
ga ni
za tio
n, a
nd
st yl
e ar
e ap
pr op
ria te
to
ta sk
, p ur
po se
, a nd
au
di en
ce .”
C on
ce pt
: P at
te rn
s St
an da
rd : 3
.O A
.9 :
“Id en
tif y
ar ith
m et
ic
pa tt
er ns
(i nc
lu di
ng
pa tt
er ns
in th
e ad
di tio
n ta
bl e
or m
ul tip
lic at
io n
ta bl
e) , a
nd e
xp la
in th
em
us in
g pr
op er
tie s
of
op er
at io
ns . F
or e
xa m
pl e,
ob
se rv
e th
at 4
ti m
es
a nu
m be
r i s
al w
ay s
ev en
, a nd
e xp
la in
w hy
4
tim es
a n
um be
r c an
b e
de co
m po
se d
in to
tw o
eq ua
l a dd
en ds
.” Pr
ac tic
e: “1
. M ak
e se
ns e
of p
ro bl
em s
an d
pe rs
ev er
e in
s ol
vi ng
th
em .”
Ti m
el in
e or
hu
nd re
d ch
ar t
1. W
ha t t
ex t
st ru
ct ur
e/ or
ga ni
za tio
n di
d th
e au
th or
ch
oo se
fo r t
hi s
bo ok
? 2.
H ow
d id
m
at he
m at
ic s
an d
nu m
be rs
c ha
ng e
Pa ul
’s lif
e? 3.
W ha
t p at
te rn
s do
yo
u no
tic e
in th
e hu
nd re
d ch
ar t?
4. P
au l h
ad a
lo t o
f qu
es tio
ns a
bo ut
nu
m be
rs . W
ha t
qu es
tio ns
d o
yo u
ha ve
a bo
ut
nu m
be rs
? Be
an
Th irt
ee n
by
M at
th ew
M
cE lli
go tt
St ud
en ts
w ill
…
1. Re
ad o
r l is
te n
to th
e st
or y.
2. W
hi le
re ad
in g,
u se
co
un te
rs o
r b ea
ns to
re
pr es
en t e
ve nt
s in
th e
st or
y. 3.
D is
cu ss
w ha
t ha
pp en
ed to
b ea
n th
irt ee
n. 4.
U se
b oo
k as
a m
en to
r te
xt to
w rit
e a
si m
ila r
st or
y us
in g
a di
ff er
en t
nu m
be r o
f b ea
ns
(e .g
., B ea
n N
in e,
B ea
n El
ev en
, B ea
n Fo
ur te
en ).
C C
RA .R
.3 :
“A na
ly ze
ho
w a
nd w
hy
in di
vi du
al s,
ev
en ts
, or
id ea
s de
ve lo
p an
d in
te ra
ct o
ve r
th e
co ur
se o
f a
te xt
.”
C C
RA .W
.3 : “
W rit
e na
rr at
iv es
to d
ev el
op
re al
o r i
m ag
in ed
ex
pe rie
nc es
o r e
ve nt
s us
in g
ef fe
ct iv
e te
ch ni
qu e,
w el
l- ch
os en
d et
ai ls
, a nd
w
el l- s
tr uc
tu re
d ev
en t
se qu
en ce
s. ”
C C
RA .W
.4 : “
Pr od
uc e
cl ea
r a nd
c oh
er en
t w
rit in
g in
w hi
ch
th e
de ve
lo pm
en t,
or ga
ni za
tio n,
a nd
st
yl e
ar e
ap pr
op ria
te
to ta
sk , p
ur po
se , a
nd
au di
en ce
.”
C on
ce pt
s: E
qu al
g ro
up s
an d
ev en
/o dd
St
an da
rd : 2
.O A
.3 :
“D et
er m
in e
w he
th er
a
gr ou
p of
o bj
ec ts
(u p
to
20 ) h
as a
n od
d or
e ve
n nu
m be
r o f m
em be
rs ,
e. g.
, b y
pa iri
ng o
bj ec
ts
or c
ou nt
in g
th em
b y
2s ; w
rit e
an e
qu at
io n
to
ex pr
es s
an e
ve n
nu m
be r
as a
s um
o f t
w o
eq ua
l ad
de nd
s. ”
Pr ac
tic e:
“2 . R
ea so
n ab
st ra
ct ly
a nd
qu
an tit
at iv
el y.”
D rie
d lim
a be
an s
or
tw o-
co lo
r co
un te
rs
1. Is
it p
os si
bl e
to
gr ou
p th
e 13
b ea
ns
in th
e bo
ok to
m
ak e
th e
pi le
s eq
ua l?
E xp
la in
. 2.
In th
e en
d, w
ha t
ha pp
en ed
to b
ea n
th irt
ee n?
3. W
ha t w
ou ld
ha
pp en
if R
al ph
a nd
Fl
or a
ha d
pi ck
ed 12
be
an s
in st
ea d
of 13
be
an s?
4. W
he re
d o
yo u
se e
do ub
le s
in th
e pi
ct ur
e? C
an y
ou
sh ow
it w
ith y
ou r
be an
s?
595
TEACHING TIP
The Reading Teacher Vol. 71 No. 5 March/April 2018 literacyworldwide.org
addressing specific math content, various manipu- latives, relevant standards, and guiding questions to use with students in grades K–5. The ideas pre- sented in the table can easily be adapted to almost any grade level by adjusting the literature selection, manipulatives, or instructional goals.
To help maximize instruction in both ELA and mathematics, we emphasize the importance of identifying clear objectives and instructional goals. A document that can be helpful in finding a book that addresses a specific mathematics standard is Marilyn Burns’s (2014) Math Reads. We also encour- age teachers to provide mathematical manipula- tives to accompany books being used to integrate subjects, where appropriate. In finding a relevant manipulative, it is helpful to consider the math- ematical goal and the context of the story. For ex- ample, if area plays an important role in the goals and context, as in Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! by Marilyn Burns, one- inch square tiles could be an ap- propriate manipulative. Manipulatives do not need to be store- bought; beans, counters, cut- out figures or shapes, and money can also be used. This helps bring the story to life while engaging hands- on learners and turning abstract mathematical con- cepts into concrete objects. Manipulatives allow for students’ exploration and deeper understanding of the content, along with an increased interest in mathematics (Sutton & Krueger, 2002). For example, having the balance scale available while reading the book Equal Shmequal allowed the concept of equality to emerge naturally for the students.
It is also important to have questions prepared in advance to engage the students in high- level think- ing connected with the goals of both subject areas. We found that asking some open- ended questions during our lesson allowed for exploration and dis- cussion among the students. To get started, some questions and question stems could include the following:
■ How can you use ___ (manipulative) to repre- sent events from the book?
■ Is there a number sentence that would go along with the situation in the story?
■ Explain why/how the character(s) ___ (made that decision, thought ___, tackled the problem, etc.).
■ What patterns do you notice? ■ Where do you see ___ (doubles, multiplication,
etc.) in the picture? How does it relate to the story?
Conclusion The benefits of integrating the subject areas of ELA and mathematics in elementary school include pro- viding an engaging context, giving a multifaceted view of subject areas, and spending an increased amount of time on key subject areas. The use of manipulatives moves students beyond traditional, passive practices of learning by incorporating creativ- ity, critical thinking, and the presentation of ideas. Furthermore, involving students in hands- on activi- ties supports students’ motivation, willingness to ask questions and participate in discussion, and overall attention to assigned tasks (DeGeorge & Santoro, 2004). As adopted standards call for increased rigor in both ELA and mathematics, integration of these subjects, along with the use of both children’s litera- ture and manipulatives, can help teachers efficiently maximize class time and promote a deeper under- standing of mathematics and literacy.
R E F E R E N C E S Allen, J. (2012, April 24). Teaching tips: What should be
common in the Common Core State Standards? [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.literacyworldwide.org/ blog/literacy-daily/2012/04/24/teaching-tips-what-should- be-common-in-the-common-core-state-standards-
Buehl, D. (2011). Developing readers in the academic disciplines. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Burns, M. (2014). Math Reads from Marilyn Burns correlated to the Common Core State Standards, grades K–5. Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/math-concepts- skills/math-reads/pdf/Math-Reads_Common-Core-State- Standards_Correlation.pdf
Clements, D.H. (2000). “Concrete” manipulatives, concrete ideas. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 1(1), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2000.1.1.7
Countryman, J. (1992). Writing to learn mathematics: Strategies that work, K–12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
DeGeorge, B., & Santoro, A.M. (2004). Manipulatives: A hands- on approach to math. Principal, 84(2), 28.
Dewey, J. (1902). The child and the curriculum. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York, NY: Macmillan.
Hecker, L. (1997). Walking, Tinkertoys, and Legos: Using movement and manipulatives to help students write. The English Journal, 86(6), 46–52. https://doi.org/10.2307/820368
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010a). Common Core State Standards for English language arts and literacy in history/ social studies, science, and technical subjects. Washington, DC: Authors.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010b). Common Core State Standards for mathematics. Washington, DC: Authors.
Shatzer, J. (2008). Picture book power: Connecting children’s literature and mathematics. The Reading Teacher, 61(8), 649– 653. https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.61.8.6
Sutton, J., & Krueger, A. (Eds.). (2002). EDThoughts: What we know about mathematics teaching and learning. Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning.
596
TEACHING TIP
The Reading Teacher Vol. 71 No. 5 March/April 2018 literacyworldwide.org
Tucker, C., Boggan, M., & Harper, S. (2010). Using children’s literature to teach measurement. Reading Improvement, 47(3), 154–161.
Uy, F., & Frank, C. (2004). Integrating mathematics, writing, and literature. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 40(4), 180–182. https:// doi.org/10.1080/00228958.2004.10516432
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Interaction between learning and development. In M. Gauvain & M. Cole (Eds.), Readings on the development of children (pp. 34–40). New York, NY: Scientific American. (Reprinted from Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes, pp. 79–91, by L.S. Vygotsky, 1978, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press)
Wilcox, B., & Monroe, E.E. (2011). Integrating writing and mathematics. The Reading Teacher, 64(7), 521–529. https:// doi.org/10.1598/RT.64.7.6
Yilmaz, Z., & Topal, Z.O. (2014). Connecting mathematical reasoning and language arts skills: The case of Common Core State Standards. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 3716–3721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.829
L I T E R AT U R E C I T E D Kroll, V. (2005). Equal shmequal. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
© 2012 ISBN 978-0-87207-813-0 Nonmembers: $23.95 Members: $18.95
Best Ever Literacy Survival Tips: 72 Lessons You Can’t Teach Without LORI D. OCZKUS Best Ever Literacy Survival Tips gives you the essential guidelines every literacy educator must know in an engaging magazine format. You’ll find 72 achievement-boosting lessons and practical advice for many important areas of literacy, including motivation, reading aloud, independent reading, assessment, vocabulary, phonics, writing techniques, and strategies for the Common Core State Standards. Whether studying them alone or with a professional learning community, this array of proven, student-centered tips is designed to yield valuable results.
ORDER NOW! literacyworldwide.org/books 800.336.7323 (U.S. and Canada) | 302.731.1600 (all other countries)
Members
SAVE 20% Includes a study guide and discussion topics!