Easy as Pi – Making Math fun for kids
For every child who declares that they will never need math after school, there’s an adult performing wild feats of mental gymnastics to calculate GST. Whether we like it or not (and we usually don’t), math plays an important role in our lives.
While we might not use algebra, trigonometry or geometry on a daily basis, there’s no denying that being able to add and subtract without counting on our fingers does help in the long run. Additionally, studying maths helps us learn to think logically and practically—something that is definitely an asset in the real world.
But why do so many children dislike maths? Could it be the way the information is presented to them? There’s no denying that most textbooks are more informative than interesting, and that stories capture your interest much faster than facts and figures.
At Pratham books, we believe that math can be interesting, educational and fun – all at the same time. We’ve done our best to create memorable books that demystify math and encourage pattern recognition as a skill.
If you’re keen on introducing children to maths in an engaging way, then these books might make your task easier. Here are a few of the math titles that we’ve recently published, which are available for purchase right now:
Butterflies, kites, leaves, and planes – there’s a whole world above us that we would miss if we didn’t look up. This colourful and quirky book is one of the simplest ways to introduce children to the concept of pattern recognition.
Teaching Pa by Amrutash Misra & Zainab Tambawalla
Diya’s father never had the chance to go to school. Diya decides that she’s going to teach her Pa everything that she knows – including maths! Though Pa prefers Geography, Diya helps him understand why a little arithmetic is essential too. This charming book gives us a child’s perspective into the logic behind basic division and how it can be applied in day-to-day situations.
When Will Amma Be Back? By Prathiba Swaminathan & Alankrita Amaya
Roja’s mother has to go to work early in the morning. She promises Roja that she will be back by bedtime. 9 pm seems very far away to the little girl – but there’s plenty to do in between. Follow Roja’s through the day as she learns about the passing of time in the most natural way possible – by experiencing it. This book does a wonderful job of teaching children about timekeeping and routine, staples in any child’s life.
How Heavy is Heavy? By Sukanya Sinha & Hari Kumar Nair
Who better to teach kids about science than a physicist? Sukanya Sinha tackles the units of measurement in this delightful book. After all, how do you judge how heavy something is? Usually by comparing it to something else. Does a feather weigh more than a stone? Does a stone weigh more than an elephant? How much does the world weigh? Find your answers with this book. Sukanya also wrote ‘How Far is Far?’
Look Up!, How Heavy is Heavy?, When Will Amma be Back? and Teaching Pa are available in English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and Tamil. You can visit StoryWeaver to read and download them for free.
Anjali Alappat works as an Assistant Editor at Pratham Books, Bangalore.
