From an early age, educators and pedagogists have historically agreed on the educational and therapeutic value of fairy tales told to children: reading a fairy tale to children means not only dedicating quality time to them, but also stimulating their imagination and curiosity . In many cases the parent’s voice is calming and reassuring, it helps them sink into sleep and makes them experience fantastic adventures even from their bed (The iPhone projects fairy tales on the wall of the room, here’s how)
However, not everyone knows that fairy tales have something in common also with mathematics and that getting children used to fairy tales will make them better students in this matter, apparently at the antipodes of literature (fairy tales follow all these six types of plot, here they are)
It is no coincidence that Albert Einstein also said: “If you want intelligent children, read fairy tales to them; if you want very intelligent children, read them many fairy tales ”
Even in the study and practical use of mathematics, especially when children are called to solve problems, there is a need for imagination : you have to look for a solution and try to remember all the skills acquired to find it, but it is not just about memory but also flexibility (a good way to help the child with math is to make him study music!)
Flexible mental paths must be trained, for example with the tale of fairy tales: anyone who has told a story to a child, especially the first time, has certainly been interrupted many times by their questions. This is because the child’s mind explores all the possibilities, is very open and greedy for knowledge: what better ground to sow skills that will bear fruit in the future?
Finally, a system now widely used to make mathematics more understandable and loved by children is precisely fairy tales : many textbooks for primary school set mathematical concepts in the woods, in the jungle or in the context of fairy tales much loved by children such as Little Riding Hood Rosso, Rapunzel and many others.
