Effect of Integrating Children’s Literature in Elementary Mathematics
Location
Room 210
Proposal Track
Practice Report
Session Format
Presentation
Preferred Time
Friday afternoon
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of integrating children’s literature in math teaching on student understanding of elementary math concepts. Pretest-posttest same subjects design was used for the study. In professional development sessions prior to the intervention, teachers were taught how to use children’s literature to instruct and enhance their math curriculum through the use of selected children's literature, manipulatives, and graphic organizers. For two weeks twelve students in a forth grade classroom were taught long division using only explicit teacher instruction and practice, and then took a County End of Unit Test on long division. For the next two weeks, the teacher re-taught the unit on long division using children’s literature, manipulatives, and graphic organizers, and then tested the students. Test results were statisitically analyzed to determine the effect of using children’s literature in math on student learning of long division. Findings of the study indicate that using children’s literature within math helps students understand and retain concepts more effectively. Educators need to incorporate children’s literature into the mathematics classroom and use instructional strategies with it to increase students’ math achievement.
Keywords
instructional strategies, math achievement, children's literature
Recommended Citation
Thomas, Lyn and Feng, Jay, "Effect of Integrating Children’s Literature in Elementary Mathematics" (2015). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 41.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2015/2015/41
Effect of Integrating Children’s Literature in Elementary Mathematics
Room 210
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of integrating children’s literature in math teaching on student understanding of elementary math concepts. Pretest-posttest same subjects design was used for the study. In professional development sessions prior to the intervention, teachers were taught how to use children’s literature to instruct and enhance their math curriculum through the use of selected children's literature, manipulatives, and graphic organizers. For two weeks twelve students in a forth grade classroom were taught long division using only explicit teacher instruction and practice, and then took a County End of Unit Test on long division. For the next two weeks, the teacher re-taught the unit on long division using children’s literature, manipulatives, and graphic organizers, and then tested the students. Test results were statisitically analyzed to determine the effect of using children’s literature in math on student learning of long division. Findings of the study indicate that using children’s literature within math helps students understand and retain concepts more effectively. Educators need to incorporate children’s literature into the mathematics classroom and use instructional strategies with it to increase students’ math achievement.
