Using Fairy Tales and Children’s Literature in the Math Classroom: Helping All Students Become Einstein’s in a STEM World

Abstract

Getting young people excited about mathematics is critical in our high-tech world. Teachers today need to encourage students to be confident in their ability to solve problems, to think and use their imaginations, to understand mathematical concepts, to be creative, and see math as a human endeavor. The author believes that as students feel less anxious about, and more confident in their abilities to do math their performance will improve. Math anxiety has become a growing concern in the United States as well as in many other countries around the globe. Educators need to address this alarming problem and work toward developing mathematically confident young people for a world where Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields dominate the globe. Using children’s literature and fairy tales to teach math may help in addressing the improvement of attitudes toward mathematics and help students to be more creative and imaginative in a world with endless possibilities and with advancing technologies. Bibliotherapy is also discussed.