Good Books Are Good for Math: Enacting a Critical Math Read-Aloud with Preservice Teachers

• In Event: Beyond Traditional Methods: Innovative Approaches to Humanizing Mathematics in Teacher Preparation

Abstract

This study explores how teacher educators from literacy and mathematics co-designed and implemented an integrated read-aloud lesson for undergraduate preservice teachers. Drawing from critical literacy and culturally responsive mathematics education, we planned and modeled a read-aloud and guided book exploration to investigate changes in preservice teachers’ understanding of read-alouds during math instruction, intentional book selections, and diverse representations. Using qualitative methods, we identified shifts in participants’ perceptions and practices regarding the use of children’s literature to support inclusive mathematics instruction and practices. This study offers practical implications for embedding racial justice and equity into mathematics instruction using an interdisciplinary approach. Our findings address AERA’s 2026 theme, “Unforgetting Histories and Imagining Futures,” by reimagining foundational teaching practices through a critical, cross-disciplinary lens.

Authors

• Heather Lindfors-Navarro, Northern Arizona University

• Stephanie M Branson, Northern Arizona University