MathArts: Exploring Math Through Art for 3 to 6 Year Olds Paperback – January 1, 1996

As a teacher who loves integrating various content areas to provide rich and meaningful learning experiences for kids, I was disappointed in this book. The effort put into the activities focuses on the art, and very little math comes through for that effort. It's like someone thought they'd do an art project and then tried to think up what math could they possibly call a connection. I've seen much better curriculum integration than this. It may be OK for people who have little experience in educational practice, or who simply enjoy the art experience. That is fine. There are some very good integrated math and art activities in the book. However, while many of the projects are fun, math concepts are lost in the process and product of the art activity. It doesn't seem to be a good use of one's time and energy. Don't get me wrong -- I love art. If providing rich opportunities to develop math concepts is your goal, there are wonderful books and online sources available that will give you what you're looking for. They incorporate fabulous literature for little kids and meaningful fun hands-on activities to support math learning that will interest your child: everything from spacial orientation and acquiring math facts to geometry and algebra -- and everything in-between.

The book is set up in three general sections - Exploring Counting covers one-to-one relationships, sorting, and patterning, Exploring Spatial Relationships covers proximity, direction, symmetry, boundaries, and parts of a whole, Exploring Number Value covers counting, numerals, measurement, time, and money.My issue with this book is that sorting, matching, shape recognition, proximity, one-to-one relationships, and direction are all basic developmental skills that a majority of children have down before their third birthday, and this book claims to "start" at age three. Those things alone are about 1/3 of this book. And then on the other end of that age spectrum, 6 years old is Kindergarten or first grade. Skills being taught in schools at that level include counting and understanding of numbers to at least 100, skip counting, adding and subtracting. There are so many things you could do with art, manipulatives, and number manipulation, but this book doesn't get to any of those skills.If the age recommendation had been ages 2-4, which would match up better with the developmental skills covered, then I would have likely known it was too basic for what I was looking for. This could certainly be used at those ages as a preschool foundation, but the vast majority of these activities will be too simple for kids at the older end of the range.

The book exceeded our expectations. Almost all of the activities are very inexpensive and are things readily available. (like ice art) So many clever and creative ideas to incorporate art into math and science. It's not like teaching 10th graders geometry and have them make a stain glass window, but rather an art class that utlilizes math and science.

Good resource for math & art projects

Needs to be electronic.

New book~!!

Great

Very pleased.