Random and Math Fun

I got late notice that I was doing Toddler Storytime so I didn't have a lot of time to prep.  So my books were just fun random books and our activities were a few of the activities I had created for my Toddler Math and Early Literacy Class (which was on Saturday).

Hooray for Fish!

by Lucy Cousins

Silly Sally

by Audrey Wood

Blocks

by Irene Dickson

Songs

Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

If You're Happy and You Know It
(clap, stomp, spin, shout hooray, jump up and down)

Flannel

Three Little Mice

Three little mice came out to play
Gathering crumbs along the way
Out came the pussycat sleek and fat
One little mouse goes scampering back.

Two little mice came out to play
Gathering crumbs along the way
Out came the pussycat sleek and fat
One little mouse goes scampering back.

One little mouse came out to play
Gathering crumbs along the way
Out came the pussycat sleek and fath
One little mouse goes scampering back.

Play and Learn

Socks, clothespins, and a low clothesline
Paper towel roll holder and "rings" to go on
(bracelets, hair ties, shower curtain rings, canning jar rings, cardboard tubes)
Buckets and Blocks (one little toddler started using the word "heavy")
Stacking Cups

More on Math

A few weeks ago I was able to attend the Gift of Childhood Conference.  Douglas Clements was the keynote speaker and I also attended one of his workshops.  He is a researcher of early childhood math education from the University of Denver. 

Dr. Clements spoke about the immense importance of providing better math opportunities for young children.  We can continue to add math concepts into our storytimes to strengthen children’s understanding.  In fact, recent research showed that counting predicted arithmetic success in Kindergarten, which in turn predicts later school achievement in all areas.

Here are a few other tidbits I learned that I’d like to pass along:

• Subitizing (knowing how many without having to count)  When children are subitizing larger numbers (6 and above) we can ask how they know because usually kids will “see” at least one number and then they add the other number they “see”.  For example 8—the child could see 5 and 3 or maybe they see 4 and 4.  Children may know that 4 and 4 is eight.  If children know the number don’t make them count; this discourages subitizing, the very thing we are trying to teach.  However, when children are subitzing 1-5 we do NOT want to ask “how many”.  We want them to be able to look and just know; thus not being able to tell us “how” they know with numbers one through five.   
• Placing items to count horizontally is best when children are first starting to count.  Using just one color or one type of item is also best.
• Count as you add items to the flannel board.  Put one monkey on board, count one, put next monkey on say two and so forth.  This helps children hear and see the number.  After counting be sure to ask, How Many? to help children with cardinatility—understanding the last number they say is “how many”.
• Don’t just count to ten, go on to eleven or twelve! Try a movement activity, such as jumping, and count the number of times a child can jump—hearing numbers past what they can recite helps children gain a greater understanding of numbers. 
• Try a flannel board such as “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” but have 2 or 3 fall off at once. Dr. Clements believes that we often don’t challenge children enough in regards to math.
• Use math language more in every day situations.  We can help children see numbers by talking about numbers.  Instead of saying “Pick up the blocks” you can say, “Pick up the three blocks”.  

Shapes! Preschool Math Mash-Up

Our last Math Mash-up Storytime for preschool!  One of our storytime staff was out sick so I did two days in a row.  Since I had one repeat family I swapped out one book.

Books

Walter's Wonderful Web

by Tim Hopgood

Shapes, Reshape!

by Silvia Borando

Triangle

by Mark Barnett and Jon Klassen

Graph Question
What shape would you like to eat?

Triangle--slice of pizza, slice of watermelon, piece of pie, corn chips
Circle--cookie, crackers, pancakes, donuts, orange slice
Rectangle--chocolate bar, graham cracker, ice cream sandwich, fish sticks
Square--waffle, soda cracker, sandwich, square cereal

Play and Learn

Make a picture collage using shapes

Baby Storytime--Shapes

Our last Math Mash-up storytime; this one focusing on shapes!  After I had gathered all the books I decided to do it for two weeks in a row.

Read Aloud Books

Blocks

by Irene Dickson

Baby Party

by Rebecca O'Connell; illustrated by Susie Poole

Flannel

5 Little Cookies

Down around the corner, in the bakery shop
There were 5 yummy cookies with frosting on top
Along comes a ________ (animal puppet) with a dollar to day
He/She busy the _________ (color) one and takes it away!

Shapes

A small ___________
A big ____________
And the biggest ____________ I see.
Now help me count them
One, two, three!

(shapes used: circle, heart, and star)

Crazy Themed Storytime (plus Math Mash-Up)

Two fun CRAZY Math Mash-ups (Big and Small/More and Less) for Preschool!

Books

Say Zoop!

by Herve Tullet

(I wish the title would have been a literal translation from the original French title:  The Book That Makes Sounds)  I skipped 13 double page spreads when I read it aloud at storytime.

This is a Ball

by Beck and Matt Stanton

My second group of preschoolers were a bit younger so I read The Nonsense Show instead of This is a Ball.

The Nonsense Show

by Eric Carle

Songs

Crazy Traffic Light

Shake Your Sillies Out

Play and Learn

Playdough—make big and small/more and less

Puppets—line up big to small

Crazy Scissors collage

Outdoor Math Activity--that I didn't do