When I was a classroom teacher, I tried to make my lesson plans and units cross-curricular whenever possible. I found that my students were able to make a more meaningful connection when we were studying the same theme or concept across multiple subject areas. An easy way to tie math and reading together is by using math picture books, and one of my favorite math picture book authors is Greg Tang.

Greg Tang books work well at almost every elementary grade level. Not only is Tang a well-known author, but he also works as a math coach and consultant. The teachers at my school speak so highly of his math workshops that I want to attend one, even though I don’t teach math anymore.

Greg Tang's philosophy is that children should look for patterns or create visuals when they are thinking about numbers or are trying to problem solve in math. On his website, he explains that the inspiration for his books came when he was volunteering in his daughter's first grade class and noticed the students were counting the dots on the dominoes rather than seeing them in groups. His theory is that if children are able to find patterns or groups when they are solving math problems, they will understand the number concepts better.

I have used many of Greg Tang's books in my classes. He is best known for his New York Times Bestseller The Grapes of Math, but my students and I have also enjoyed Math for All Seasons, Math Fables, and Math Appeal. Kids love his books for many reasons, but especially because of the short, engaging math riddles, the corresponding problem-solving illustrations, and the fact that all the answers can be found in the back of the book. That means that they can read and check their answers independently.

Greg Tang books are perfect for a “math literacy center.” A “math literacy center” is a great way to marry reading and arithmetic in a very meaningful way!

Here's how to set up your own math literacy center:

• Have a variety of Greg Tang books available for your students to read.

• Make copies of the Greg Tang Problem Solver Sheet (available for download) for your students to use.

• Remember that at almost any math center it is helpful to have pencils, scrap paper, and manipulatives easily accessible for your students.

Here are two different Greg Tang inspired downloads for you. The first is the Greg Tang Problem Solver Sheet, where your students write the answers to the riddles and show that they have checked their work. The second download is the Create Your Own Math Riddle, where your students write and illustrate their own Greg Tang-inspired math riddles.