Children's Literature
These books provide a great opportunity for you and your child to explore mathematics and literacy together. These books focus on ideas that form number theory of fractions and were chosen for their literary value. Each book has been evaluated for content, accuracy, vocabulary, story line, writing style, and, presentation. I have also included some tips and activities to make this an enriching and enjoyable time for you and your child.
A note about readability:
I have selected two books that have been evaluated based on Frey's Readability scale. What this means is that I evaluated three groups of 100 words based on the number of sentences and syllables each group contains. Then I found the average of syllables and sentences within the book. Using those averages, I imputed them into the Frey's Readability Graph to find an approximate grade child will find the book "readable."
I have selected two books that have been evaluated based on Frey's Readability scale. What this means is that I evaluated three groups of 100 words based on the number of sentences and syllables each group contains. Then I found the average of syllables and sentences within the book. Using those averages, I imputed them into the Frey's Readability Graph to find an approximate grade child will find the book "readable."
Fraction Action
Written and illustrated by Loreen Leedy
Miss Prime's class is learning about fractions. Along the way, the class divides sets of marbles, serves halves, fourths, and fifths to friends for lunch, adds and subtracts fractions at their lemonade stand, and give Miss Prime her own test of fractions. Fraction action contains fun, entertaining and applicable stories containing accurate information while introducing fraction vocabulary. This book contains five mini stories; each mini story focuses on a different quality of fractions with a word question related to that quality at the end of each. This book uses applicable activities such as a lemonade stand and preparing a meal to show the practicality of fractions while introducing complex manipulation of fractions with very simple vocabulary. The word fraction is used frequently, but other more complicated fraction vocabulary is presented using it's definition such as equal fractions instead of equivalent fractions and numerator is replaced with parts of a whole. The illustrations are fun, bright, and colorful. The illustrations of fractions are easy to see and compare, interesting, and accurate representations including proper fraction notation. On the Frey's Readability Scale this book is considered readable for students mid-way through second grade and older.
Out of the Book Activity
Fair Share Lunch
Take an activity from Miss Prime's class and make a "Fair Share" lunch. You and your child can prepare a favorite lunch while practicing fractions. Take one whole meal and share it between the two of you to experiment with halves add another family member or a friend to experiment with thirds.
Here are some share-able lunch ideas:
-Pot of soup
-Pizza
-Pack of crackers
-Salad
-Applesauce
-Apple
-Orange
-Pudding
-Pie
Written and illustrated by Loreen Leedy
Miss Prime's class is learning about fractions. Along the way, the class divides sets of marbles, serves halves, fourths, and fifths to friends for lunch, adds and subtracts fractions at their lemonade stand, and give Miss Prime her own test of fractions. Fraction action contains fun, entertaining and applicable stories containing accurate information while introducing fraction vocabulary. This book contains five mini stories; each mini story focuses on a different quality of fractions with a word question related to that quality at the end of each. This book uses applicable activities such as a lemonade stand and preparing a meal to show the practicality of fractions while introducing complex manipulation of fractions with very simple vocabulary. The word fraction is used frequently, but other more complicated fraction vocabulary is presented using it's definition such as equal fractions instead of equivalent fractions and numerator is replaced with parts of a whole. The illustrations are fun, bright, and colorful. The illustrations of fractions are easy to see and compare, interesting, and accurate representations including proper fraction notation. On the Frey's Readability Scale this book is considered readable for students mid-way through second grade and older.
Out of the Book Activity
Fair Share Lunch
Take an activity from Miss Prime's class and make a "Fair Share" lunch. You and your child can prepare a favorite lunch while practicing fractions. Take one whole meal and share it between the two of you to experiment with halves add another family member or a friend to experiment with thirds.
Here are some share-able lunch ideas:
-Pot of soup
-Pizza
-Pack of crackers
-Salad
-Applesauce
-Apple
-Orange
-Pudding
-Pie
Fraction Fun
Written by David A. Adler illustrated by Nancy Tobin
Fractions become fun, applicable, and hands-on in this fraction concept book. Students learn the vocabulary of fractions with easy to understand definitions. Fraction, numerator, denominator and equivalent fractions are all defined with accurate and relevant definitions and illustrations. Hands-on application activities allow students to take their students beyond book learning and into engaging practice of the concepts presented in this book. Although there is no story line, the writing style still flows easily from one idea to the next. This creative book pulls students in the concepts by providing activities and beautiful illustrations. On the Frey's Readability Scale, this book is considered readable for students in third grade and older.
Out of the Book Activity
Pizza Math
Take an activity straight from Fraction Fun. Pizza Math is found on page #9 of Fraction Fun. All you need is three paper plates, a pencil, a ruler, and red, green and blue crayons.
Using a ruler, one paper plate and a pencil, draw a straight line across the middle of the plate dividing it into two equal parts. Write 1/2 in each of the two parts. Shade in one part (1/2) with the red crayon.
On another paper plate, use the ruler and a pencil to draw a straight line through the middle of the plate. Using the ruler and pencil draw a second line that divides the plate into four equal parts. Write 1/4 in each of the four parts of the plates. Shade in one part (1/4) with a red crayon.
On the third plate, using the ruler and pencil, divide the plate into four equal parts. Using the ruler and a pencil draw two more straight lines lat cut the plate into 8 equal parts. Write 1/8 in each part. Shade in one part (1/8) with a red crayon.
Use your plates to answer these questions taken directly from the book.
"Imagine each of the plates is a pizza pie. Now pretend that each shaded part is a slice of pizza. Which slice is the largest, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8? Which slice is the smallest? What happens to a fraction as the denominator, the bottom number, changes?"
Using the plate sectioned into eighths, shade in 2 sections with the green crayon. With the blue crayon, shade in 3 sections of the same plate.
Use your plate to answer these questions taken directly from the book.
The number or shaded sections on the plate is the numerator. "What happens to a fraction as the numerator, the top number gets larger?"
Written by David A. Adler illustrated by Nancy Tobin
Fractions become fun, applicable, and hands-on in this fraction concept book. Students learn the vocabulary of fractions with easy to understand definitions. Fraction, numerator, denominator and equivalent fractions are all defined with accurate and relevant definitions and illustrations. Hands-on application activities allow students to take their students beyond book learning and into engaging practice of the concepts presented in this book. Although there is no story line, the writing style still flows easily from one idea to the next. This creative book pulls students in the concepts by providing activities and beautiful illustrations. On the Frey's Readability Scale, this book is considered readable for students in third grade and older.
Out of the Book Activity
Pizza Math
Take an activity straight from Fraction Fun. Pizza Math is found on page #9 of Fraction Fun. All you need is three paper plates, a pencil, a ruler, and red, green and blue crayons.
Using a ruler, one paper plate and a pencil, draw a straight line across the middle of the plate dividing it into two equal parts. Write 1/2 in each of the two parts. Shade in one part (1/2) with the red crayon.
On another paper plate, use the ruler and a pencil to draw a straight line through the middle of the plate. Using the ruler and pencil draw a second line that divides the plate into four equal parts. Write 1/4 in each of the four parts of the plates. Shade in one part (1/4) with a red crayon.
On the third plate, using the ruler and pencil, divide the plate into four equal parts. Using the ruler and a pencil draw two more straight lines lat cut the plate into 8 equal parts. Write 1/8 in each part. Shade in one part (1/8) with a red crayon.
Use your plates to answer these questions taken directly from the book.
"Imagine each of the plates is a pizza pie. Now pretend that each shaded part is a slice of pizza. Which slice is the largest, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8? Which slice is the smallest? What happens to a fraction as the denominator, the bottom number, changes?"
Using the plate sectioned into eighths, shade in 2 sections with the green crayon. With the blue crayon, shade in 3 sections of the same plate.
Use your plate to answer these questions taken directly from the book.
The number or shaded sections on the plate is the numerator. "What happens to a fraction as the numerator, the top number gets larger?"