Stuart J. Murphy facts for kids
Stuart J. Murphy is a special author who helps kids learn through pictures and stories. He was born in 1942 in Rockville, Connecticut. He studied art and design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).
Before becoming a famous children's author, Stuart Murphy worked as an Art Director at a publishing company called Ginn and Company. He even took a break to help restore art in Venice, Italy, in 1973-1974. Later, in 1980, he helped start a design company called Ligature. This company created textbooks for subjects like Social Studies, Reading, Science, and Math.
Contents
MathStart Books: Making Math Fun!
In 1995, Stuart Murphy started his amazing MathStart book series. These books are published by HarperCollins Children’s Books. The series has 63 books in total!
How MathStart Books Teach
MathStart books make learning math skills fun. They use exciting stories and lots of pictures to help kids understand. For example, you can learn about patterns, skip counting, and solving puzzles. The books are divided into three levels for children from Pre-Kindergarten up to Grade 4. The 21 books in Level 1 are a huge collection for young children learning math.
Awards and Success
The MathStart books have won many awards. They were named a Top Ten Nonfiction Series for Young Children by Booklist magazine. This magazine is from the American Library Association. They also received awards from The Bank Street College of Education and The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.
One of his stories about negative numbers, Less Than Zero, was called a "Best Book of the Year" by AAAS Science Books & Films magazine. MathStart stories have been translated into many languages, including Spanish, Korean, Arabic, and Chinese. By 2013, over 10 million MathStart books had been sold!
From Books to the Stage: The Main Street Kids' Club Musical
Six of the MathStart books were turned into a musical called The Main Street Kids’ Club. This musical was developed at Northwestern University. A playwright and director named Scott Ferguson worked with composer Michael Mahler to create the music. Now, theaters and schools can get licenses from Music Theatre International (MTI) to perform the musical.
I See I Learn: More Than Just Math
Stuart Murphy also created another series called Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn. These books focus on important skills for young children in Pre-K and Grade 1.
What I See I Learn Teaches
These stories help children learn about:
- Social skills (how to get along with others)
- Emotional skills (understanding feelings)
- Health and safety
- Cognitive skills (thinking and problem-solving)
The books feature students in Miss Cathy’s class in a place called See-and-Learn City. They use visual learning strategies, which means they use pictures to help kids understand. Each book also has a special section for parents and teachers called “A Closer Look.” Experts in early childhood education have checked every book to make sure it's helpful and accurate.
I See I Learn at School
The I See I Learn series is also available as a full educational program for schools. It includes teacher guides, videos, and games. This program is offered through Pearson Education as I See I Learn at School.
Sharing Knowledge and Inspiring Others
Stuart Murphy has been a popular speaker at many educational conferences. These include NCTM, NCSM, IRA, NAEYC, and NHSA. He also helped advise the Arts in Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is an Honorary Trustee of the Rhode Island School of Design, where he served on the Board for 19 years.
Family and Inspiration
Stuart Murphy lives with his wife, Nancy, in Boston, Massachusetts, and also in Prota, Italy. They have two children and three grandchildren. His two older grandchildren, Jack and Maddie, even have MathStart books named after them: Jack the Builder and Mighty Maddie. His youngest grandchild, Camille, inspired the character with the same name in the I See I Learn books.
Related Reading
- How to Read a Book Using Visual Learning Strategies by Stuart J. Murphy (a helpful guide)
- Math Boring? Not at All! The New York Times Editorial, MathStart and the Importance of Early Childhood Education by Stuart J. Murphy (from his vizlearning blog)
- Preparing Preschoolers for the Common Core by Stuart J. Murphy (from BookLinks magazine)
