










































Georgia Journal of Literacy 
2025, Vol. 47(2), pp. 39–45 
https://doi.org/10.56887/galiteracy.199 
ISSN: 2833-7611 

  Teaching Tips  

 
X 

 

CONTACT Dr. Luminita Hartle, Assistant Professor, Department of Teacher Education & Social Work, Middle Georgia 
State University, Macon, GA; email luminita.hartle@mga.edu. 
 

Beyond Fire and Tacos: Using Dragons Love 
Tacos to Ignite Mathematical Thinking through 
Interdisciplinary Read-Alouds  
 
Luminita Hartle  
Middle Georgia State University, Macon, GA 

 
ABSTRACT 

On a bright Tuesday morning, in a university math undergraduate course, the 
professor held up a beloved children’s picture book, Dragons Love Tacos by Adam 
Rubin, and the room filled with smiles. “If you want to make math fun, put it in a taco!” 
shouted one teacher candidate, prompting laughter all around. While the line was 
humorous, it also hinted at something deeper: mathematics, when anchored in 
meaningful contexts, becomes more than just numbers on a page. This narrative 
follows a group of teacher candidates as they explore mathematics through the lens 
of children’s literature. Using the playful yet insightful story of taco-loving dragons 
who cannot eat spicy salsa, the lesson evolved into a space where literacy, math, 
and interdisciplinary teaching came to life. 

KEYWORDS 

children’s 
literature; math; 
teacher 
candidates; 
interdisciplinary 
read-aloud  

 
n interdisciplinary approach intentionally integrates concepts and skills across content 
areas to foster deeper, more authentic learning experiences (Beane, 1997; Drake & Burns, 
2004). By selecting texts that are humorous, relatable, and rich in social-emotional subtext, 

such as Dragons Love Tacos, educators can bridge literacy and mathematics in ways that connect 
students’ cultural and personal experiences (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010). When paired with 
accessible, hands-on math tasks, this approach engages learners as capable thinkers, problem-
solvers, and storytellers, making both subjects more meaningful and memorable (Vacca & Mraz, 
2017). Such integration not only supports academic growth but also promotes collaboration, 
creativity, and the transfer of knowledge across disciplines (Fogarty, 2009). An interdisciplinary 
framework also challenges teacher candidates to rethink the traditional boundaries of subject 
instruction. Rather than treating mathematics and literacy as isolated domains, teacher candidates 
begin to recognize how each discipline can enrich and clarify the other. The process of weaving 
story and cultural touchpoints into mathematical tasks encourages them to design lessons that are 
not only academically rigorous but also personally relevant for students. This blending fosters a 
mindset where learning is viewed as holistic, dynamic, and responsive to real classroom 
communities, rather than segmented into discrete and disconnected parts. 
 
Setting the Stage: Literacy as a Gateway to Mathematics  
This article explores how the popular children’s picture book Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin 
(2012) can serve as a springboard for interdisciplinary instruction in teacher preparation programs. 
Anchored in culturally responsive pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1994) and grounded in student-
centered practices (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010), this approach illustrates how teachers can blend 
literacy and mathematics instruction in meaningful and engaging ways. Through a case study of a 

A 

mailto:luminita.hartle@mga.edu


40 Georgia Journal of Literacy 47(2)  
 

   
 

2nd-grade integrated lesson designed in a teacher preparation program, we examined how 
mathematical concepts such as estimation, addition, subtraction, and data analysis emerge 
naturally through storytelling, an approach supported by research on narrative-based learning 
(Bruner, 1990), and how students respond to this type of experience. Drawing on reflective 
feedback from teacher candidates, the article offers instructional strategies and demonstrates how 
children’s literature can nurture both conceptual understanding and classroom community 
(Chambers, 2011; Sipe, 2008). 
 Bridging mathematics and literacy through interdisciplinary instruction enables students to 
form deeper, more authentic connections across content areas (Beane, 1997; Drake & Burns, 
2004), enhancing both engagement and conceptual understanding (National Council of Teachers 
of Mathematics [NCTM], 2014). Furthermore, children’s literature offers powerful entry points 
for mathematical discussions that are rooted in storytelling, cultural experiences, and classroom 
dialogue (Van de Walle et al., 2019; Whitin & Whitin, 2004). As one teacher candidate reflected, 
“We had a book project in one class and used it to design a math lesson in another—that helped it 
all make sense.” This integration underscores the power of interdisciplinary instruction to ground 
abstract ideas in concrete, culturally relevant contexts (Gay, 2018; Hammond, 2015). Such cross-
course connections highlight why the read-aloud, long valued for literacy, can also serve as an 
anchor for interdisciplinary and culturally responsive mathematics instruction. here. 
 
Inside the Read-Aloud: Stories that Count 
As the story unfolded, in the college classroom, the teacher candidates were asked to think 
mathematically. “If one dragon eats 7 tacos and another eats 5, how many tacos did they eat in 
total?” the professor asked, pausing mid-story. Teacher candidates reached for paper taco 
manipulatives and drew number sentences. Math became visible and tactile. One teacher candidate 
noted that hands-on, tactile experiences are more memorable and impactful for students than 
computer-based tasks. Throughout the read-aloud, teachers can also seamlessly incorporate math 
talk by posing simple questions such as, “What happens if a dragon eats spicy salsa?” or “If three 
bowls of salsa were made and one spilled, how many remain?” These prompts encourage mental 
math and problem-solving while grounding mathematical thinking in the context of the story’s 
plot.  
 Extending the discussion, teacher candidates also experimented with different ways to 
scaffold questions for diverse learners. For instance, some suggested using sentence frames such 
as “___ plus ___ equals ___” to support students still developing language skills, while others 
recommended encouraging students to act out the problem using taco cards or by grouping 
themselves into “dragon teams.” Teacher candidates quickly saw that the same story prompt could 
be adjusted for varying levels of readiness, simple addition for early learners, multi-step problems 
for more advanced students, or even open-ended questions like, “How many different ways could 
three dragons share 12 tacos?” This flexibility illustrates the broader pedagogical significance of 
story-based instruction: one narrative can sustain a wide range of mathematically rich discussions, 
differentiated to meet diverse learner needs and coherently linked to a shared text. In doing so, it 
exemplifies how interdisciplinary and culturally responsive practices can ground abstract concepts 
in meaningful and contextually relevant experiences. 
 
After Reading: Bringing Data to the Table 
Post–read-aloud activities extended mathematical learning by integrating graphing with real-world 
applications. As part of a class exercise, teacher candidates conducted a brief survey on preferred 



Hartle 41 
 

taco toppings such as cheese, lettuce, salsa, and beans, and recorded the results using tally marks. 
They then transformed this data into bar graphs and engaged in small-group discussions to interpret 
patterns and compare frequencies. This activity reinforced essential data analysis skills while 
fostering collaboration, purposeful mathematical discourse, and application of mathematics in 
authentic contexts, an approach that candidates noted they could readily implement in their future 
classrooms. 
 A subsequent task was framed as a real-world scenario: “If you are throwing a taco party 
for five dragons and each dragon eats six tacos, how many tacos do you need?” Teacher candidates 
approached the problem using a variety of strategies, including drawing visual models, skip 
counting, and composing equations, before sharing their reasoning with peers. One candidate 
reflected, “The problem felt real. It wasn’t just a worksheet—it was our story.” This type of 
authenticity, where mathematical reasoning emerges from familiar and engaging contexts, can 
transform mathematics from an abstract exercise into a meaningful, memorable learning 
experience for all students. 
 
Tens and Tacos: Building Number Sense Playfully 
Building number sense in early elementary classrooms often begins with understanding 
combinations of 10, an essential foundation for addition, subtraction, and place value. Inspired by 
the classroom read-aloud of Dragons Love Tacos, teacher candidates extended the learning with a 
vibrant, taco-themed math anchor chart titled “Dragons Love 10” (see Figure 1). In this anchor 
chart, the numbers 0 through 10 are arranged in an arc, representing a taco shell. Yellow lines link 
the pairs that make 10 (e.g., 3 and 7, 4 and 6), visually reinforcing the symmetry and logic of 
number bonds. Below the taco, each fact is written as a number sentence, bridging concrete and 
abstract representation. 
 
Figure 1: “Dragons Love 10” Anchor Chart  

 
Note. The taco-themed anchor chart provides a visual representation of all number combinations that equal ten, 
designed to support students’ addition fact fluency. 



42 Georgia Journal of Literacy 47(2)  
 

   
 

The activity exemplifies responsive teaching by embedding familiar, culturally relevant 
imagery, such as tacos, into core mathematics instruction and pairing it with joyful classroom 
routines. As students build fluency with number combinations, they simultaneously engage in 
storytelling, collaboration, and visual problem-solving, hallmarks of an engaging and student-
centered mathematics classroom. Activities such as “Dragons Love 10” illustrate how mathematics 
can be joyful, conceptually rich, and rooted in a sense of community within the playful context of 
a taco. As one teacher candidate observed, “Students will get excited to find their taco match. It 
can turn a basic math fact into a game—and they will remember the combinations better because 
of the story.” 
 
Integrating Mathematics and Literacy: GSE-Aligned Activities Inspired by Dragons Love 
Tacos  

To support the integration of mathematics and literacy through Dragons Love Tacos, Table 1 
presents a range of classroom activities aligned with key elementary mathematics concepts and the 
Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). Each activity illustrates how the book can function as a 
catalyst for engaging, standards-based instruction across domains such as addition, subtraction, 
graphing, measurement, and early multiplication. Collectively, these examples demonstrate how 
mathematical thinking can be anchored in storytelling, transforming abstract concepts into 
meaningful, joyful learning experiences. 
 
Table 1: Example of Math Activities Using the Book “Dragons Love Tacos” 

Activity Title Description Math Focus GA Math Standard 
(GSE) 

Sample Math 
Problem 

Taco Tally & 
Graph 

Students survey 
classmates on taco 
toppings and create 
bar graphs 

Data collection & 
graphing 

MGSE1.MD.4: 
Organize, represent, 
and interpret data 

How many students 
prefer cheese? 
Which topping is 
most popular? 

Dragons Love 
10 

Use an anchor chart 
or taco cards to find 
number pairs that 
make 10 

Number bonds & 
addition 

MGSE1.OA.6: Add 
and subtract within 
20 

If one dragon eats 4 
tacos, how many 
more does it need to 
eat 10? 

Taco Party 
Planning 

Plan a party for 
dragons with tacos 
and toppings 

Multiplication & 
repeated addition 

MGSE2.OA.4: Use 
repeated addition to 
model equal groups 

If each dragon eats 5 
tacos and there are 4 
dragons, how many 
tacos are needed? 

Salsa Spill 
Subtraction 

Story problem about 
spilled salsa bowls Subtraction within 20 

MGSE1.OA.1: 
Represent and solve 
problems involving 
subtraction 

If there were 6 bowls 
of salsa and 2 
spilled, how many 
are left? 

Taco Sorting 
Categorize taco 
toppings or dragon 
types by attributes 

Sorting, classifying, 
and patterns 

MGSE2.G.1: 
Recognize and draw 
shapes with given 
attributes 

Sort tacos by 
number of 
ingredients. What 
pattern do you 
notice? 

Build-a-Taco 
Word 

Problems 

Students create and 
solve taco-themed 
word problems 

Addition, subtraction, 
multiplication 

MGSE2.OA.1: Solve 
word problems using 
drawings and 
equations 

Maria made 3 tacos 
with beef and 2 with 
beans. How many 
tacos did she make? 



Hartle 43 
 

Dragon 
Delivery 
Distance 

Dragons deliver 
tacos; measure and 
compare distances 

Measurement & 
comparison 

MGSE2.MD.1 & 
MGSE2.MD.4: 
Measure and 
compare lengths 

Dragon A flew 12 
feet, and Dragon B 
flew 15 feet. Who 
flew farther and by 
how much? 

Note. MGSE2 refers to the Mathematics Georgia Standards of Excellence, Grade 2. 
 
Planning with Purpose: Creative Lesson Design from Teacher Candidates 
Designing a math lesson that integrates literature requires teacher candidates to think beyond 
conventional models. One candidate shared, “I used to think math had to look a certain way—
charts, numbers, timed drills. Now I realize it can be a story, a conversation, even a taco party.” 
Teacher candidates also described how integrating literacy into their math instruction made the 
standards more approachable. Several teacher candidates embraced the interdisciplinary nature of 
the task as a strength. “I learned that I don’t have to choose between being creative and meeting 
the standards,” one reflected. “I can do both—and my students learn more when I do.” This 
mindset shift, viewing standards as the foundation rather than the limit, enabled teacher candidates 
to craft lessons that were engaging, rigorous, and joyful. As one summed it up: “Creativity is not 
about doing whatever you want—it’s about making the learning meaningful.” As teacher 
candidates worked through the planning and designing of the lesson, they demonstrated creative 
flexibility in both format and content. These reflections illustrate a deepening understanding of 
culturally responsive pedagogy not as a checklist of strategies, but as a sustained mindset. 
Children’s books like Dragons Love Tacos serve as both mirrors and windows (Tschida et al., 
2014). Mirrors that reflect students’ familiar cultural experiences, such as taco night, and windows 
that invite them to explore new ways of thinking, reasoning, and engaging with mathematics. 
 
Lessons for Practice: A Narrative Framework for Integration 
The classroom experience revealed five guiding principles for weaving math meaningfully into 
story-rich learning: (1) choose literature with natural mathematical hooks, such as Dragons Love 
Tacos, where numbers and comparisons emerge organically; (2) embed math talk into shared 
reading to prompt reasoning and verbal explanation (Hammond, 2015); (3) use manipulatives like 
paper tacos or counters to make abstract concepts tangible (Sowell, 1989); (4) connect math tasks 
to real-world or imaginative contexts to boost motivation and relevance (Ladson-Billings, 1994); 
and (5) engage in intentional reflection to ensure instruction remains inclusive, student-centered, 
and responsive to both academic and social-emotional growth (Zeichner & Liston, 2013). 
 These five principles provide a flexible framework that teacher candidates can carry into 
their own practice. For example, when selecting literature with mathematical hooks, teacher 
candidates recognized the value of choosing texts students already enjoy, whether about tacos, 
animals, or familiar routines, to make math feel approachable from the start. Embedding math talk 
into read-alouds was also identified as a powerful move, especially when teacher candidates 
practiced using open-ended prompts such as, “What do you notice? What do you wonder?” to 
spark multiple solution strategies rather than a single correct answer. 
 The use of manipulatives such as taco cards or counters showed how easily abstract ideas 
could be transformed into playful and concrete tasks. One teacher candidate reflected that “passing 
out tacos” during the lesson can keep students’ hands and minds equally engaged, a reminder that 
movement and play are not distractions but powerful vehicles for learning. Real-world and 
imaginative contexts, such as hosting a taco party for dragons, helped teacher candidates see how 



44 Georgia Journal of Literacy 47(2)  
 

   
 

math could connect to students’ lived experiences while still meeting curriculum standards. 
Finally, intentional reflection emerged as a practice that made the biggest difference for teacher 
candidates’ growth. In this way, the five principles served not only as a framework for planning 
but also as a mindset for sustaining joyful, responsive, and meaningful mathematics instruction 
across content areas. here. 
 
Conclusion: Children’s Literature as a Catalyst for Mathematical Understanding  
The Dragons Love Tacos, read aloud, showed how children’s literature can transform math from 
abstract numbers into meaningful, memorable experiences. By embedding mathematical concepts 
in a playful, culturally familiar narrative, teacher candidates designed lessons that were rigorous, 
creative, and student-centered. This approach reframed standards as a springboard for innovation, 
blending literacy and math to build both conceptual understanding and classroom community. In 
the end, tacos and dragons became more than a whimsical tale; they served as a catalyst for joyful, 
connected learning, advancing student literacy and mathematical understanding through 
purposeful and interdisciplinary integration. 
 Equally important, this lesson design demonstrated the potential for replication across 
multiple texts, grade levels, and contexts. Teacher candidates recognized that once they learned 
the process, they could select a story with natural math connections, embed purposeful math talk, 
extend learning through hands-on tasks, and apply the same framework to other children’s 
literature. For example, Counting Crocodiles by Judy Sierra (1997) lends itself to lessons on 
number sense and repeated addition, Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto (1992) can be used to 
explore estimation, subtraction, and culturally responsive connections around family traditions, 
and The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins (1986) naturally introduces division and sharing concepts 
through a familiar context of cookies and friends. Each of these texts, like Dragons Love Tacos, 
provides opportunities for authentic math talk, hands-on exploration, and interdisciplinary 
teaching that bridges literacy and mathematics in ways students find meaningful, authentic, and 
memorable. 
 Story-based mathematics instruction can be strengthened through three interconnected 
strategies: (1) embedding purposeful questioning by pausing at key moments in the narrative to 
pose mathematically rich prompts that stimulate reasoning and discussion (Hammond, 2015). For 
example, during Dragons Love Tacos, a teacher might pause when dragons are piling up tacos and 
ask, “If one dragon eats seven tacos and other eats five, how many tacos do they eat together?” (2) 
facilitating representational modeling by encouraging the use of manipulatives, drawings, or 
embodied actions to connect abstract concepts with tangible representations (Sowell, 1989). For 
example, having students distribute paper taco cards among dragon cutouts to model sharing 
twelve tacos among three dragons; and (3) designing authentic extensions that situate mathematics 
in culturally relevant and real-world contexts, such as surveys, data displays, or scenario-based 
problem solving (Ladson-Billings, 1994; Gay, 2018). For instance, after the read-aloud, students 
might conduct a taco-topping survey and graph the class’s preferences. Together, these strategies 
illustrate how children’s literature can transform mathematics into a dynamic, interdisciplinary, 
and culturally responsive learning experience. 
 
References 
Beane, J. A. (1997). Curriculum integration: Designing the core of democratic education. 

Teachers College Press. 



Hartle 45 
 

Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Harvard University Press. 
Chambers, A. (2011). Tell me: Children, reading, and talk. Thimble Press. 
Drake, S. M., & Burns, R. C. (2004). Meeting standards through integrated curriculum. 

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 
Fogarty, R. (2009). How to integrate the curricula. Corwin Press. 
Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (3rd ed.). Teachers 

College Press. 
Georgia Department of Education. (2015). Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) in mathematics 

[State standards]. GaDOE. 
Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic 

engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin Press. 
Hutchins, P. (1986). The doorbell rang. Greenwillow Books. 
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. 

Jossey-Bass. 
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (NCTM). (2014). Principles to actions: Ensuring 

mathematical success for all.  
Rubin, A. (2012). Dragons love tacos. Dial Books for Young Readers. 
Sierra, J. (1997). Counting crocodiles. Gulliver Books/Harcourt Brace. 
Sipe, L. R. (2008). Storytime: Young children’s literary understanding in the classroom. Teachers 

College Press. 
Soto, G. (1992). Too many tamales. Putnam. 
Sowell, E. J. (1989). Effects of manipulative materials in mathematics instruction. Journal for 

Research in Mathematics Education, 20(5), 498–505. https://doi.org/10.2307/749423 
Tomlinson, C. A., & Imbeau, M. B. (2010). Leading and managing a differentiated classroom. 

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 
Tschida, C. M., Ryan, C. L., & Ticknor, A. S. (2014). Building on windows and mirrors: 

Encouraging the disruption of “single stories” through children’s literature. Journal of 
Children’s Literature, 40(1), 28–39. https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/
08/Building-on-Windows-Mirrors.pdf 

Vacca, R. T., & Mraz, M. E. (2017). Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the 
curriculum (12th ed.). Pearson. 

Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2019). Elementary and middle school 
mathematics: Teaching developmentally (10th ed.). Pearson. 

Zeichner, L. M., & Liston, D. P. (2013). Reflective teaching: An introduction (2nd ed.). Routledge. 
 
 
Received: August 9, 2025 | Accepted: September 29, 2025 | Published: December 12, 2025 

https://doi.org/10.2307/749423
https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Building-on-Windows-Mirrors.pdf
https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Building-on-Windows-Mirrors.pdf

	Setting the Stage: Literacy as a Gateway to Mathematics
	Inside the Read-Aloud: Stories that Count
	After Reading: Bringing Data to the Table
	Tens and Tacos: Building Number Sense Playfully
	Figure 1: “Dragons Love 10” Anchor Chart

	Integrating Mathematics and Literacy: GSE-Aligned Activities Inspired by Dragons Love Tacos
	Table 1: Example of Math Activities Using the Book “Dragons Love Tacos”

	Planning with Purpose: Creative Lesson Design from Teacher Candidates
	Lessons for Practice: A Narrative Framework for Integration
	Conclusion: Children’s Literature as a Catalyst for Mathematical Understanding
	References

