The School Library: A Space for Mathematical

Thinking, Learning, and Sharing

Put the following decimals in order from least to greatest:
398.24; 398.2; 398.8; 394.2973
What does the above problem look like to you? If you are a teacher
or student, it may remind you of a mathematics test bank item
on a benchmark or end-of-year test. If you are a school librarian,
it may remind you of shelving by Dewey Decimal numbers. If you
train volunteers to shelve in your library, then you may recognize
the difficulty of finding good help. How many of you have had to
re-shelve a section that a well-meaning volunteer has put in perfect
order with total disregard for the numbers following the decimal?
Our collections are ordered mathematically in a manner not readily
apparent to outsiders.
A Numeracy-Rich Space
School librarians work in a space rich in numeracy. One year I asked kindergartners to find

create problems from real-life data and situations

numbers in the library as part of their orientation. They found signage, spine labels, barcode labels,

within and outside mathematics and then apply

and volume numbers. They noticed the sign for room capacity, numbers on the clock, the room

appropriate strategies to find an acceptable

number, and the numbers on computer keyboards. Soon they were introduced to counting books

solution, promoting real-world applications and

and stories about various threesomes. As they progressed in their school years, they might have

the need for quantitative literacy beyond pure

found the math books in the 510s, the cookbooks in the 600s, the craft and game books in the 700s,

mathematics. Again, our standards declare that

and books about graphs and graphing in the 100s. The reference section includes volumes filled

students will draw conclusions, make informed

with graphs, tables, and statistics. Learners would also find maps requiring understandings of

decisions, apply knowledge to new situations,

grid, directionality, and scale with various two-dimensional representations and models of three-

and create new knowledge as well as sharing

dimensional entities.

that knowledge and participating productively as

members of our democratic society. And what

Our collections are aswim in mathematical concepts not readily apparent to those with whom we

about the final standard that learners will pursue

collaborate. This series of two articles highlights some of the many connections school librarians

personal and aesthetic growth? State and national

can make with mathematics teachers.

standards promote the value of connecting

literature with mathematics. Picture books abound

Support from the Standards

that offer visual and aesthetic representations of

Standards for the 21st Century Learner promotes the problem-solving, problem-posing, and critical

mathematical concepts.

thinking sought by mathematics educators with standards such as Learners use skills, resources, and
tools to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge. Examine most state standards for mathematics

As school librarians we are thus positioned to

and you will find a statement like this one from the Virginia SOLs: Students also will recognize and

offer resources and standards that promote

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By Sue C. Kimmel

For example, take the familiar story Goldilocks

and the Three Bears. You can probably think
of several related mathematical concepts. Our
youngest students might be learning about the
many ways to represent the quantity of three:
a numeral, a number word, a picture of three

inquiry, drawing conclusions, real world

words used in uncommon ways. Additionally,

objects, a grouping of three, a combination

connections, and aesthetic enjoyment. To

mathematical problems are often embedded

of two and one, and so on. Flexibility in

convince other disciplines, we also need an

in words and stories requiring students to use

recognizing the different representations

awareness of the standards created for those

comprehension and other reading skills in order

of the same number provides the number

disciplines. The National Council of Teachers

to understand the mathematical question.

sense needed to solve increasingly complex

of Mathematics (NCTM) has both content and

As school librarians and teachers integrate

mathematical problems. The big bowl, the

process standards. In particular the process

literature with mathematics they provide several

medium-size bowl, and the small bowl offer

standards have five strandscommunicating,

advantages (McKinney and Hinton-Johnson):

concepts of relative size and ordering by size.

connections, reasoning and proof, problemsolving, and representationthat intertwine in

Connect mathematics to the real world

meaningful and powerful ways with our own

Stimulate mathematical discourse

standards. Problem-solving (and posing) as well

as reasoning and proof are hallmarks of inquirydriven learning such as that outlined by the
Standards for the 21st Century Learner. Learners
of these standards will ask questions and

among students
Provide an avenue for mathematical problemsolving investigations
Provide illustrations that represent different
mathematical concepts

provide evidence of reasoning toward solutions

and proofs leading to new questions.

Word Problems Meet Literature

My own journey to collaborate with math

Cross-curricular Links

teachers begins with a story. My principal and

Contextualizing and finding interdisciplinary

I always discussed goals for the upcoming

links is one obvious way in which our collections

school year, and one year she came to me and

support the mathematics strand of connections.

said, I want you to work with third grade on

As Jon Scieszka says, Everything is a math

math. I really liked the idea but told her I was

problem. When we uncover the mathematics

uncertain about how to proceed. She made a

inherent in stories, recipes, games, and maps,

suggestion that became a frame for many of the

we lead learners to rich connections that make

mathematics lessons I planned with teachers.

mathematical concepts more accessible and

Why dont you write a word problem and send it

meaningful. Lave, Murtaugh, and De la Roche

to the classroom ahead of time? She suggested

(1984) found that participants scored higher

that I have the students work on the problem

on mathematical problems in the context of a

in class and bring their work with them to

grocery store (98%) than on similar paper and

the library in order to provoke anticipation

pencil problems (59%). Problem contexts often

and curiosity about the library lesson. When

provide multiple access points to solutions.

they came to the library, I could introduce a

For our learners, the context may also provide

book related to the problem. Mathematics was

aesthetics, relevance, or other interest in the

a schoolwide focus that year, and I attended

problem beyond the manipulation of numbers.

staff development with my teachers related to

In a similar vein, we address representation

math. At one staff development, the presenter

with different visuals provided by illustrations,

suggested that students write their own word

photographs, diagrams, tables, and charts

problems following the familiar literary format

through print and electronic resources.

of character, setting, and problem. As Haven

When we uncover
the mathematics
inherent in stories,
recipes, games,
and maps, we lead
learners to rich
connections that
make mathematical
concepts more
accessible and
meaningful.

(2007) says, our brains are wired for story no

But perhaps the strand that we have the

matter what the discipline, and mathematics

strongest affiliation with is communication.

is no exception. I thus had the framework to

Mathematics has its own language with

put almost any story into a word problem by

particular conventions for reading and

using the same characters and settings, and a

writing, and its own vocabulary with common

mathematical problem drawn from or related

to the story.

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LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION

k 27

jjj
for the part of their thinking that was correct

It may not be coincidence that so many of

our classic fairytales and nursery rhymes
for children have mathematical concepts
embedded in them.

and began to untangle the moves that were

incorrect. As often as possible I provided another
similar problem or an extension of the problem
and offered manipulatives for students to use in
solving the problem.
We occupy a space rich in resources and
numeracy, and part of our task with teachers
is to create those connections with curriculum
and students. The guidelines for Instructional

As Goldilocks finds the porridge, the chairs,

each table with bunny money and they used the

Partner, as set forth in Empowered Learners

and the beds not right, not right, and just

manipulatives to solve the problem another way.

(AASL, 2009), state that The school library

right, she follows an AAB pattern. Follow a

As students worked together, the teacher and I

media program provides instruction that

recipe for porridge with young students and

circulated to observe and make suggestions if

addresses multiple literacies(p.19); numeracy

you will encounter concepts of measurement,

needed. We were especially interested in how

or numerical literacy should be among those

temperature, and even fractions. It may not

students worked through the need to make

important for 21st century citizens. Teachers

be coincidence that so many of our classic

change. After working through the problem, I

may not associate us with their mathematics

fairytales and nursery rhymes for children have

read the book (Hey, thats the same as the word

curriculum, but at the next staff meeting (which

mathematical concepts embedded in them.

problem!) to students, who listened to learn how

will no doubt be in the library) ask your staff to

Max solved the problem. Students then used the

look around them for the obvious mathematical

One of the first word problems I sent to a third

bunny money to write a word problem involving

connections and then volunteer to seek out

grade classroom drew from a story that is itself

Max and Ruby and shopping. This Bunny Money

more connections through literature, reference

an extended word problem, Rosemary Wells

lesson has been adapted for first and second

tools, and other resources in your library.

Bunny Money:

grade classrooms that come to the library to solve

the problem using the manipulatives.

Max and Ruby have $15.00. They go to town

to buy a present for Grandma. The bus

Find Your Own Formula!

into town costs $1.00. Max buys teeth with

Bunny Money was one of my first math lessons in

oozing cherry syrup for $2.00. Max and Ruby

the library and became a formula for subsequent

spend $3.00 at the laundromat. Lunch costs

lessons. I found out what was being taught in

them $4.00. They buy bluebird earrings for

mathematics and then chose a book that provided

Grandma for $4.00. Max buys glow-in-the-

a context for a related mathematical problem. I

dark vampire teeth for $1.00. How much

chose the characters and the setting, and often

money is left to pay for the bus ride home?

the problem from the book, and created a word

problem. The word problem was written on large

In addition to providing the word problem, the

chart paper and delivered to the classroom the

book also offers the manipulatives that students

day before the lesson. Teachers gave the problem

might use to act out and solve the problem in the

as morning work or other work and students

form of bunny money on the book endpapers

brought the problem, their work, and their

with express permission and encouragement

answers to the library. As students arrived in the

to copy and distribute. The endpapers include

library, they were usually eager to tell me the

denominations of one and five dollars, and

answer, but I generally expressed my interest in

I generally included a five dollar bill in the

how you got that answer, instead of the solution.

manipulatives so students would have to figure

This conversation typically led to a wide variety

out how to make change when they worked

of strategies; often I chose a student with the

out the problem. In the classroom, students

wrong answer because as they began to express

were only provided paper and pencil to solve

their reasoning, the other students and I could

this problem. When they came to the library,

help untangle their thinking. Wrong answers

we talked through the different strategies they

often began with thinking that was not entirely

employed to solve the problem. I then provided

wrong and in this way students got validation

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Sue C. Kimmel is an assistant professor at Old Dominion

University in Norfolk, Virginia, and can be reached at
skimmel@odu.edu.

References
American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st
Century Learner. AASL, 2007. Web. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/
divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/standards.cfm.
American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners:
Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: American
Association of School Librarians, 2009.
Haven, K. Story Proof: The Science behind the Startling Power of
Story. Westport: Libraries Unlimited, 2007.
Lave, J., Murtaugh, M., and De la Rocha, O. The Dialectic of
Arithmetic in Grocery Shopping. In B. Rogoff and J. Lave (eds.),
Everyday Cognition: Its Development in Social Context (pp. 67-94).
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984.
McKinney, S. and Hinton, K. Mathematics in the K-8 Classroom and
Library. Santa Barbara: Linworth, 2010.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Principles and
Standards for School Mathematics. Reston: National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics, 2000.
Scieszka, Jon. Math Curse. Illus. by Lane Smith. New York: Viking,
1995.
Virginia Department of Education. Mathematics Standards of
Learning (SOL). VDOE, 2001. Web. www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/
standards_docs/mathematics/index.shtml.
Wells, Rosemary. Bunny Money. New York: Dial Books for Young
Readers, 1997.

November/December 2011

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