Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Children's Books about Measurement

Measurement
Here are a few suggestions of books for bedtime reading that have a mathematics theme. Some ideas for activities to accompany these books are also given. By simply reading these books, parents and teachers can introduce, support or review their children's understanding of fundamental mathematics concepts in a fun and engaging manner. This particular entry pertains to books about MEASUREMENT from the Measurement strand.

Ten Beads Tall by Michael Twinn This book has a built system of measuring. Children enjoy the interactive nature of the book. Activities *Make a book of thematic objects and provide unifix cubes for students to measure with.

How Big is a Foot? by Rolf Myller The King wants to give the Queen something special for her birthday. The Queen has everything, everything except a bed. The trouble is that no one in the Kingdom knows the answer to a very important question: How Big is a Bed? because beds at the time had not yet been invented. The Queen's birthday is only a few days away. How can they figure out what size the bed should be?

Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni To keep from being eaten, an inchworm measures a robin's tail, a flamingo's neck, a toucan's beak, a heron's legs, and a nightingale's song.

Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy Lisa has a homework assignment to measure something in as many ways as she can, using standard and nonstandard units. "Use your imagination!" is the last instruction the teacher gives the students. Lisa chooses her Boston terrier and the fun begins. She measures Penny and a variety of other dogs. In the process, readers learn that Penny's nose is one inch long. Her tail is one biscuit long. She is bigger than a pug, smaller than a cocker spaniel, and weighs about the same as a Shetland Sheepdog. Lisa measures how much her pet eats, how high she jumps, how much time it takes to care for her, how much money is invested in her, how fast Penny runs, and a variety of other doggie traits. The results are shared with readers through charts, graphs, and reports.

Me and the Measure of Things by Joan Sweeney What’s the difference between a cup and an ounce? What gets measured in bushels and when do you use a scale? Easy-to-understand text and playful corresponding illustrations teach children the differences between wet and dry measurements, weight, size, and length. And all information is conveyed in a unique kid’s-eye perspective, using everyday objects and situations.

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