Math is often a difficult subject for children to grasp. Use stories as a means of teaching different math-related topics in a way that children can understand. Titles such as "Bears Odd, Bears Even" by Harriet Ziefert, "How Much is a Million?" by David M. Schwartz and "One Hungry Monster" by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe can promote number sense and counting. For more advanced math skills, consider titles like "Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone: A Math Adventure" by Cindy Neuschwander, "Candy Counting" by Lisa McCourt, "Give Me Half!" by Stuart J. Murphy and "Clocks and More Clocks" by Pat Hutchins. These titles can teach skills such as addition, fractions and even circumference. After reading the books, engage children in activities that allow them to apply what they learned from the stories to real-life situations by having them solve different math-related problems.
Teaching children to tolerate and accept one another is vital to creating a unified global community. Some stories that teach children the importance include "Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox, "Different Just Like Me" by Lori Mitchell, "The Cow That Went OINK" by Bernard Most and "The Sneetches and Other Stories" by Dr. Seuss. The books offer the message that though people may be different on the outside, they are alike on the inside. After reading these stories, talk with children about the importance of the messages they convey and ways in which they can practice tolerance and acceptance.
Rhyming is an important phonetic skill that helps children recognize the relationship between words and sounds. Use children's books as a means of illustrating the concept. Dr. Seuss is known for his rhyming books, including "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" and "The Cat in the Hat." Other children's stories that focus on rhyme are "Each Peach, Pear Plum" by Allan Ahlberg, "Bear Snores On" by Karma Wilson and "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown. While reading these books, stop and ask children if they can name the words that rhyme. After reading, encourage children to think of lists of rhyming words.
Emotions are difficult for children to understand, but reading stories may help kids learn how to handle and control their emotions. To teach this topic, use titles such as "When Sophie Gets Angry...Really, Really Angry" by Molly Bang, "The Feelings Book" by Todd Parr, "The Way I Feel" by Janan Cain and "How Are You Peeling?" by Saxton Freymann. Before reading, talk about feelings. Ask the children how they feel during certain situations. During and after reading, talk about ways in which feelings were handled in the books and how children can apply the messages of the stories to themselves.