Building Blocks and Math Fun

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When I picked up the book Jack the Builder (MathStart 1) by Stuart J. Murphy at the library, I didn’t expect to have so much fun with it.

We learned a new math concept, counting on, while playing with blocks. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Jack the Builder is part of the MathStart 1 series of books.

This is a series that teaches kids about basic math concepts through stories. The book we chose talked about counting on, an early step to addition.

If you have three blocks then add two more, start counting from 3 then 4, 5. You have 5 blocks.

Jack kept adding more and more blocks all the while encouraging the reader to add with him.

What really got my girls excited was Jack’s imagination.

He didn’t just build simple towers with blocks, he built hot dog stands, boats, and rockets.

We were encouraged to get out our blocks and see what we could build.

We played and talked about math for an entire afternoon.

We built towers, circus trains, and village by the sea.

We built wide structures and high structures.

We had a competition to see who could build the highest tower.

All the while, we were counting, adding, and subtracting. This was the perfect way to learn a little about math!

Do you have any sneaky ideas for teaching math skills?