National authors visit Kamaliʻi Elementary School

National authors Allison Hintz and Antony Smith made a special visit to Maui’s Kamali’i Elementary School recently, thanks to generous support from The Four Seasons Maui.

The authors wrote the book “Mathematizing Children’s Literature” published by Steinhouse. 

Steinhouse describes their book in this way:

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“Many teachers use traditional counting and shape books in math class. But what would happen if we approached any story with a math lens? How might mathematizing children’s literature give learners space to ask their own questions, and make connections between stories, their lives, and the world around them? These are the questions authors Allison Hintz and Antony T. Smith set out to explore in Mathematizing Children’s Literature: Sparking Connections, Joy, and Wonder Through read-alouds and discussion as they invite us to consider fresh ways of using interactive read-alouds to nurture students as both readers and mathematicians.”

Hintz and Smith provided a day of training with all Kamaliʻi teachers during a waiver day. This provided engagement for teachers into the process of using mathematical practices to notice and wonder about picture books.

They were given time to plan a mathematizing book lesson to deliver the very next day with the authors as well as thought partners in the school such as Principal Rothdeutsch and other non-classroom staff.

All students’ voices were heard the next day during the lessons delivered by teachers with their partners, and follow-up was planned to read books with a math lens and story lens as well. 

“It was a huge opportunity to work with these nationally acclaimed authors from Seattle,” said Kacie Seitz, NBCT Curriculum Coordinator at Kamali‘i Elementary School. “It gave our teachers and kids an opportunity to spark joy and wonder using literature in new ways.”

The school plans to share this learning with families at a Mathematzing Literature night in February.