xpost: books on math for grade school children

[phantom power]

Somebody helpfully pointed out that we have an education forum for questions like this.

My daughter keeps telling us she "hates math" and "isn't good at math." This makes me want to gouge my eyes out, because (a) it isn't true (she seems to score well above average in math) and (b) since she is in 3rd grade, most of the "math" she is learning is really arithmetic.

Arithmetic is obviously crucial, but it worries me because math doesn't really start to get interesting until you get to geometry and algebra. I'm worried that by that time she'll have solidified this "I don't like math" or even worse "girls don't like math" horseshit. I'm her father, and if I told her the sky was blue, she'd argue that it was chartreuse. Or mauve. So me just trying to explain these things to her doesn't work very well.

My real question: does anybody know of good books on math for grade schoolers. By that I mean, books that introduce cool patterns, somehow convey the beauty of numbers. Ideally, without needing to know algebra. Does this limit it to geometry? Not sure I know how to really explain what I'm looking for, but hopefully you get the idea.

I see occasional hints that she may have an inner mathematician. When she was four, she rattled off a big long number (like kids sometimes make up for fun), and then asked "how do we know that's really a number?" You haven't lived until you've tried to explain the closure of integers under addition and multiplication to a four year old.

It may be that in the end, she just won't be especially interested in math. Not everybody is. But it would be damn sad if she reached that conclusion prematurely. I'd like to try and prevent that.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Assuming that to be age eight, I'm UK,

then looking back I don't recall there being any books at all to suit that level - everything was teacher taught.

Closest I can find which might suit is Maths for dummies which is pre-algebra and leads into geometry. I've got the equivalent books for the note and tablet.

[LWolf]

2. TERC

has a math program called "Investigations." I taught it for several years before I moved into middle school and stopped teaching math. As one of those students who "hated math," I was looking for something that made more sense; that I could bring to students with a sense of curiosity and confidence. It's inquiry-based, all about concepts. Its also really powerful. In the years I taught it, I never had a math-hater, and most students left me well above "grade level."

It comes with a teacher's manual; that's it. At least, it did 12 years ago. It required manipulatives and a copy machine. There may be more to it by now.

More info: http://investigations.terc.edu/

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Several great authors write Math literature for kids.

Stuart J Murphy
http://www.stuartjmurphy.com/
http://www.mathstart.net/

Greg Tang
http://www.gregtang.com/

David M Schwartz
http://davidschwartz.com/blog/resources/mmab

[phantom power]

5. thanks to everybody for their suggestions

I have lots of new topics to learn about