Turning Adolescents onto Mathematics through Literature

Usnick, Virginia; McCarthy, Jane

doi:10.1080/00940771.1998.11495322

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Some of the attractiveness of using children’s literature stems not from its support for content learning and cognitive engagement but their potential for children’s social and emotional growth ( Hong, 1996 ), encouraging the learners’ persistence and goal-related, motivational behaviors ( Ray and Smith, 2010 ). The motivational potential of children’s books for engaging children in mathematics learning was also cited by Griffiths and Clyne (1991) , Murphy (2000) , Usnick and McCarthy (1998) , and van den Heuvel-Panhuizen and van den Boogaard (2008) , who noted how books can elicit emotional connections in learners, engaging them on multiple levels. One picture book often cited for learning primary grades shape concepts is The Greedy Triangle ( Burns, 1994 ), which while presenting shapes in the plot, concludes with a moral of being happy with who you are.…”

Section: Emotional and Motivational Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Learning mathematics in two dimensions: a review and look ahead at teaching and learning early childhood mathematics with childrenâ€™s literature

Flevares

Schiff

2014

Front. Psychol.

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In the past 25 years an identifiable interest in using children’s literature in mathematics learning emerged (Clyne and Griffiths, 1991; Welchman-Tischler, 1992; Hong, 1996; Hellwig etal., 2000; Haury, 2001). We critically review the rationales given for the use of picture books in mathematics learning, with a special focus on geometry due to its underrepresentation in this body of literature and the need for greater focus on this topic. The benefits and effectiveness of using picture books for children’s mathematics learning and interest have been documented (Hong, 1996; O’Neill etal., 2004; Young-Loveridge, 2004). For geometry, although much learning of shape ideas should be hands-on, two-dimensional figures are essential to develop children’s understanding of plane geometry. Books may effectively engage pre-literate children with plane shapes (van den Heuvel-Panhuizen and van den Boogaard, 2008; Skoumpourdi and Mpakopoulou, 2011) and shapes as gestalt wholes or prototypes (van Hiele, 1986; Clements etal., 1999; Hannibal, 1999). We review several guidelines and evaluative criteria for book selection, including Cianciolo (2000), Schiro (1997), Hunsader (2004), and van den Heuvel-Panhuizen and Elia (2012). Geometry concepts have proven challenging for young students, but their difficulties may stem, in part, from inadequate teacher training and professional development (Clements and Sarama, 2000; Chard etal., 2008) which lead to misconceptions (Oberdorf and Taylor-Cox, 1999; Inan and Dogan-Temur, 2010). Using picture books in teacher training may be an inviting way for early childhood teachers to enhance their own knowledge. We will examine the literature for guidance on incorporating children’s literature into teacher training. In closing we will outline a comprehensive, multi-pronged agenda for best instructional practices for selection and use of children’s books in mathematics activities and for teacher training.

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Section: Emotional and Motivational Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Learning mathematics in two dimensions: a review and look ahead at teaching and learning early childhood mathematics with childrenâ€™s literature

Flevares

Schiff

2014

Front. Psychol.

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“…Furthermore, the contexts of the stories can connect the mathematics to students' lives and interests, therefore making the mathematics meaningful and relevant. For example, Usnick and McCarthy [36] argued that adolescents could be motivated to learn mathematics through literature that is a springboard for explorations that integrate the curriculum. Furner [37] also described potential benefits for older students, concluding that using literature in the teaching of mathematics had the potential for increasing students' interest (and reducing anxiety) in STEM related subjects.…”

Section: Using Children's Literature In Mathematics Instructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Rich Narratives to Engage Students in Worthwhile Mathematics: Children’s Literature, Movies and Short Films

Russo

Russo²,

Roche

2021

Education Sciences

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Using children’s literature to support mathematics instruction has been connected to positive academic outcomes and learning dispositions; however, less is known about the use of audiovisual based narrative mediums to support student mathematical learning experiences. The current exploratory, qualitative study involved teaching three lessons based on challenging, problem solving tasks to two classes of Australian Year (Grade) 5 students (10 and 11 year olds). These tasks were developed from various narratives, each portrayed through a different medium (movie clip, short film, picture story book). Post lesson interviews were undertaken with 24 students inviting them to compare and contrast this lesson sequence with their usual mathematics instruction. Drawing on a self-determination theory lens, our analysis revealed that these lessons were experienced by students as both highly enjoyable and mathematically challenging. More specifically, it was found that presenting mathematics tasks based on rich and familiar contexts and providing meaningful choices about how to approach their mathematical work supported student autonomy. In addition, there was evidence that the narrative presentation supported student understanding of the mathematics through making the tasks clearer and more accessible, whilst the audiovisual mediums (movie clip, short film) in particular provided a dynamic representation of key mathematical ideas (e.g., transformation and scale). Students indicated an eclectic range of preferences in terms of their preferred narrative mediums for exploring mathematical ideas. Our findings support the conclusion that educators and researchers focused on the benefits of teaching mathematics through picture story books consider extending their definition of narrative to encompass other mediums, such as movie clips and short films.

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“…Linking mathematics instruction to children's literature has become increasingly popular (Haury, 2001). For example, it was recognized that children's literature can motivate students (Usnick & McCarthy, 1998), connect mathematics to emotions (Griffiths & Clyne, 1991), and provoke interest (Murphy, 2000).…”

Section: Picture Books and The Learning Of Mathematicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Picture Books as an Impetus for Kindergartners' Mathematical Thinking

Heuvel–Panhuizen

Boogaard

2008

Mathematical Thinking and Learning

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Although there is evidence that the use of picture books affects young children's achievement scores in mathematics, little is known about the cognitive engagement and, in particular, the mathematical thinking that is evoked when young children are read a picture book. The focus of the case study reported in this article is on the cognitive engagement that is facilitated by the picture books themselves and not on how this engagement is prompted by a reader. The book under investigation, Vijfde zijn [Being Fifth], is a picture book of high literary quality that was not written for the purpose of teaching mathematics. The story is about a doctor's waiting room and touches on backwards counting and spatial orientation only tacitly as part of the narrative. Four 5 year olds were each read the book by one of the authors without any The writing of this article was partly supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). The authors are grateful to the children and their teachers for cooperating in this study. Furthermore, they would like to thank Iris Verbruggen, their colleague at the Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, for testing the coding. Very special thanks go to Petra Scherer, Bielefeld University, Germany, for the enlightening discussions about how to understand the children's utterances and for checking the final coding. The authors also are obliged to Lyn English and the anonymous reviewers of this article. Their critique to two earlier versions of it stimulated the improvement and report of the study considerably. The finishing touch came from Anne Teppo, who helped non-native speakers of English with making the authors' plain writings more sophisticated.

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Turning Adolescents onto Mathematics through Literature

Cited by 6 publications

References 3 publications

Learning mathematics in two dimensions: a review and look ahead at teaching and learning early childhood mathematics with childrenâ€™s literature

Learning mathematics in two dimensions: a review and look ahead at teaching and learning early childhood mathematics with childrenâ€™s literature

Using Rich Narratives to Engage Students in Worthwhile Mathematics: Children’s Literature, Movies and Short Films

Picture Books as an Impetus for Kindergartners' Mathematical Thinking

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