How Stories Can Make Math Easy

How Stories Can Teach Math

City Creek Press, founded by Judy Liautaud in 1992, specializes in math-learning materials designed around a “picture + story” method to make memorizing facts much more intuitive and fun. Their catalog includes about 20 different original products for learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Here’s a deeper look at what they provide:

• Story-based Books:

  • Times Tables the Fun Way Book for Kids — teaches multiplication facts (0s–9s) through colorful cartoons and short stories.

  • Addition the Fun Way Book for Kids — similarly uses characters and visual storytelling to help kids remember addition facts.

• Workbooks & Activity Books:

  • They offer student workbooks and activity books where kids can practice the facts they learn from the story-books.

  • Clue cards (flash-card style) flip-book versions, to help reinforce memorization in a more interactive way.

• Audio & Songs:

  • There are audio/story versions of the books (on CD) so students can listen to the stories.

  • Songs accompany many of the stories; the “punchline” of the story (the answer to the fact) is often tied into a memorable tune.

• Digital / Online Versions:

  • Online Times Alive — a subscription-based program where students can watch animated stories, play games, take quizzes, and progress is tracked to learn all the times tables 0s-9s.

  • An app version for iOS and Android is available called Times Alive.

  • PDF downloads of books, clue cards, posters, and more. CityCreek.com/shop

• Teacher/Parent Kits:

  • Kits that include everything a teacher or parent needs: story books, workbooks, clue cards, manuals, etc.

  • Posters to display in classrooms. CityCreek.com/shop

• Problem-Solving Materials:

  • Story Problems the Fun Way! — teaches students how to tackle word-problems for multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction using strategies tied to their story-method. Available at : Amazon.com

• Here’s a VIDEO to see what it’s all about:
  

Why These Products Help Kids

City Creek Press’s approach has a number of advantages, particularly for students:

1. Improves Memory Retention

   • By using stories + visual imagery, students form mental “characters” for numbers, which helps them recall math facts more easily. 

   • According to their research, students who used the story method scored significantly higher on post-tests than those taught by rote drilling. 

2. Accessible for Diverse Learners

   • Their materials are especially effective for learners who struggle with traditional memorization — for example, students with dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning differences. 

   • The multi-sensory design (visual stories, audio, interactive games) addresses different learning styles.

3. More Engaging Than Drill Practice

   • Rather than boring repetition, students engage with stories, songs, and games. That makes practice more fun and less of a chore. City Creek Press, Inc.

   • Workbooks, clue cards, and games help solidify learning through active participation rather than passive review.

4. Promotes Confidence & Math Readiness

   • Mastery of basic math facts (addition, multiplication, etc.) is a foundation for more advanced math. By helping students memorize these facts confidently, City Creek Press’s products prepare them for fractions, algebra, and more. City Creek Press, Inc.

   • When students “get” these fundamentals, they often feel more capable and less anxious about future math topics. City Creek Press, Inc.

5. Flexible for Different Settings

   • Their kits work for homeschooling, traditional schools, or tutoring environments.

   • The online and app options mean students can practice anywhere (at home, on a device).

   • Printable PDFs make it easy for teachers to use materials without needing physical books.

6. Research-Backed

   • The method has been validated in a study involving 756 students across multiple schools. City Creek Press, Inc.

   • This gives educators and parents confidence that using the City Creek Press method isn’t just “fun,” but effective.

Example of How a Student Uses It

• A 3rd grader is struggling to remember the 6×7 and 8×8 multiplication facts.

• Using the Times Tables the Fun Way Book, they read a short story about the number characters “6” and “7”. 6 and 7 are friends. They decide to have a high jump contest. 6 is round and 7 is very slim. They use a 4 gate to jump over and put a 2 shaped pillow to land on so they don’t break any bones. When the learner sees 6×7 they think of the high jump contest and remember the 4 gate and the 2 pillow right next to it. so they remember the answer 42.

• To learn 8×8 they use the Times Tables the Fun Way Book to read the story about two snowmen who look like 8’s and decide to go camping. They get cold and want to build a fire. They find sticks next to a sign that says Sticks are For the Fire which sounds like 64 which is the answer to 8×8.

• They then use the clue cards to quiz themselves, and listen to the audio version at night to reinforce the story.

• Over a week, their recall improves. They see the animated stories and songs in the take a quiz on Online Times Alive, get a high score, and feel more confident.

• Later, when they hit word problems in class, the Story Problems the Fun Way book gives them strategies to translate those problems into more solvable pieces.