Homeschool Lesson Idea: Literature to Teach Subtraction

Using literature to accompany math lessons was always a hit when I taught in the elementary school classroom. There are many books that can be used to entertain children while introducing or reinforcing numeracy concepts as well as promote literacy and a love of reading. Here are a few books that could be used when teaching subtraction either in a homeschool setting or by teachers in the classroom.

1. Elevator Magic by Stuart J. Murphy: This entertaining book is part of the MathStart series and tells the story of a boy named Ben who meets his mother on the 10^th floor of a building. On the way down his mother decides to take care of errands on various floors. Ben must decide how many floors to subtract so that he pushes the right button. Each time the elevator door opens Ben sees wild and unbelievable things! Subtraction is explained through rhymes along with colorful illustrations. Various real-world problem solving activities can be used to go along with this book.

2. Shark Swimathon illustrated by Lynne Cravath: This book prepares students to subtract two-digit numbers with and without regrouping through the story of the Ocean City Sharks swim team. Gill, Fin, Stripes, and Tiny need money in order to go to the meet and luckily a bank promises them that if they can swim 75 laps in the next four days, they will sponsor them. As the days progress Coach Blue keeps up with their laps by subtracting the daily total from 75 on a large board. Not only does the book entertain as it illustrates two-digit subtraction, additional activities and a list of books about this skill are included.

3. Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy and illustrated by Scott Nash: Rhymes are used to explain the game of musical chairs as played by a group of six monsters. The book introduces children to the concept of subtraction as one by one the monsters are "out" according to the game's rules. Colorful illustrations and the repetition of simple sentences will hold students' interest as they see subtraction come to life. Additional extension activities are provided within the book.