By Manasvi Gupta
“Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe.” - ― Galileo Galilei.
Mathematics is a fascinating subject, and those who find the subject boring and tough, which probably includes the majority of the people out there, have not yet fully discovered the potential of the subject.
According to Anand Prakash, Co-founder & Head of Academics at Vedantu, “The most exciting elements, from nature to technology, have Maths applications integrated into them.”
But kids, still with their unscathed child-like curiosities, are also failing to develop an interest in the subject, which Anand attributes to the 60:1 ratio of students and teachers in schools.
He said, “If, along with ‘Maths is fun’ your child adds ‘said no one ever,’ you’re probably a bit wary of their analytical skills developing. Maths is as interesting as a teacher makes it if you place the right tools at your child’s disposal.”
So, what could possibly foster kids’ love for Mathematics? Anand Prakash revisited the issue and came up with a practical solution. He believes, “When these [mathematical] concepts and applications are imprinted in books and gifted to children, it makes learning smarter, creative, and imaginative.”
Following his own advice, Anand scoured through a list of Maths books and picked out the four best ones “that will make your children wonder how Y x Y turns Y2.”
4 Must-read Books to Spark Kids’ Interest in Mathematics
1. The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lover Mathematics by Norton Juster
The book is about an old but gold Maths love story of a dot and a line, which is beautifully explained by the author. A perfect read for the kids, Anand feels that this book “makes understanding the art of transformation easier.”
He also quotes a beautiful line from the book, intriguing enough for kids to start reading it: “… A line fell in love with a dot but the dot had only eyes on a squiggle. The line met an angel, and with its newfound form of self-expression, it knew it could be anything it wanted, a square, a triangle, a trapezium.”
2. A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fishman and Illustrator Isabel Greenberg
Anand recommends this ‘tool of illustrative Maths’ for kids who have always disliked solving Maths problems. The simple and neat breakdown of the STEM content in this book is absolutely child-friendly. For example, to make kids understand difficult numbers like a hundred billion trillion stars in the universe, the books compare them to 37 billion rabbits on the earth.
3. On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne
According to Anand Prakash, “The best way to teach something is to teach them how the greatest invention that seems rather basic in the 21st century was discovered and who did it.” So, nothing’s better than a children's book about Albert Einstein, his theories, views, and wisdom that can make kids wonder how the power of imagination can change the world. Apart from Maths numbers, it influences children to become curious about the how's, when’s, and why’s of everything around them.
4. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife
For hyper-curious teens and tweens who want to know everything about the subject, this book contributes to the pool of knowledge. Anand believes this book is “a cupid itself to make anyone fall in love with Mathematics.”
Kids will learn the beginning and end of everything in the universe - the number Zero, or as we call it ‘Shunya’.
Who is Anand Prakash?
Anand Prakash is the Co-founder & Chief Academic Officer at Vedantu, one of India's leading online LIVE learning platforms, with high-end technology to its name and a team of some of India's best-curated teachers.
Anand Prakash is an IITian with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Pulp and Paper Technology) from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee.
In 2006, Anand co-founded Lakshya, a test prep company, along with his childhood friends Vamsi Krishna and Pulkit Jain. Their first educational venture, Lakshya was later acquired by MTEducare, a listed company, in 2012. The trio then founded their second venture together in education - Vedantu. Since its inception, Anand, Vamsi, and Pulkit have served as the perfect combination of teachers and edupreneurs at Vedantu, with hands-on teaching and mentoring experience with more than 10,000 students.
Anand administers Vedantu’s academics, leveraging his years of experience and understanding towards strategising and building the core of a successful ed-tech organisation like Vedantu. With a total of f 10+ years of teaching experience, he ensures predictable learning outcomes for every child associated with Vedantu, which shows in Vedantu’s results over the years.
