Tales, Tasks, Tools, and Talk

Authors: Timothy S. McKeny and Gregory D. Foley

Article Source: Teaching Children Mathematics 19, no. 5 (December 2012–January 2013): 316–23

Related children’s literature:
“One Inch Tall” from Where the Sidewalk Ends, written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein
Great Estimations, written by Bruce Goldstone
Greater Estimations, written by Bruce Goldstone
Measuring Penny, written and illustrated by Loreen Leedy

This article shows how engaging children in literature can pique their interest in quantity concepts, develop their fluency in measurement processes, and establish their quantitative literacy. The three accompanying lesson plans with activity sheets explore various mathematical concepts through the use of a Shel Silverstein poem, two books on visual estimation, and a illustrated story about measurement.

CCSSM Standards Met: Measurement and Data (2.MD, 3.MD, 4.MD); Geometry (3.G)


Tales, Tasks, Tools, and Talk