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  • 1.  Using picture books to help children see and talk about math all around them

    Posted 11-21-2018 12:14 PM
    During NAEYC Annual last week, Mary Hynes-Berry, Laura Grandau, and I presented "Using picture books to help children see and talk about math all around them."  As we promised participants, slides are posted under the the Math Interest Forum resource page.  The ideas you generated from books will also be posted soon. And we're posting here so all NAEYC members can get inspired!

    How do you use picture books to help children explore mathematical big ideas? What are your favorite titles?

    A favorite of mine is Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh.  You can see examples of a preschool teacher and kindergarten teacher engaging students in a dramatization to emphasize the big idea that sets can be changed by adding items (joining) or by taking some away (separating).  This book was so beloved by my kindergartners that I would find them acting it out with rocks at the park!  Once children were comfortable with this foundational understanding operations, I controlled the set of mice to explore one more and one less, ways to make 10, doubles, and more.

    #EarlyMathInterestForum



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    Lauren Solarski, MS
    Math Coach & PD Facilitator, Early Math Collaborative
    Instructor, Teacher Education and Child Development
    Doctoral Fellow, Erikson Institute and Loyola University
    Chicago, IL
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  • 2.  RE: Using picture books to help children see and talk about math all around them

    Posted 11-21-2018 12:23 PM
    My favorite is called Count the Monkeys! By Marc Barnett. It's interactive and it encourages the children to participate in the counting process and then at the end of the book you have them work with you to count the monkeys together or in pairs and see if they come up with the same number as the other groups. I do this with children ages 2-5. :)

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    Temesha (Ms. Tessie) Ragan
    Family Child Care IF Facilitator
    Perfect Start Learning
    Family Child Care Provider
    Edwards, CA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Using picture books to help children see and talk about math all around them

    Posted 10-11-2021 02:18 PM
    A favorite at our center is Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin.  The simplistic story of Pete losing his buttons one at a time is a clear way to introduce "take away" or subtraction in a nonthreatening way.  Children love the sound effects, the repetition and of course when we get to the belly button page!  It is so easy to follow up this story with button activities on their own clothes, and button counting, sorting, matching, and patterning at the tables.

    Gretchen Dejter
    Curriculum Coordinator
    Lollipop Lane Preschool

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    Gretchen Dejter
    Curriculum Coordinator/STEM teacher
    Lollipop Lane Preschool
    Cambridge MD
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Using picture books to help children see and talk about math all around them

    Posted 11-22-2018 11:20 AM
    ​

    Today while searching my emails I came across an the NAEYC Hello page and found within it an invitation to join the Erikson Math Initiative. I was excited given that I teach math and science to students in the master's program at Champlain College. But unfortunately, all I found was more teacher guided lessons. They were good lessons. By this I mean that they seemed to focus on appropriate and stimulating questions for young children and some used natural materials such as rocks which I personally loved! What was disappointing to me was the teacher focus of each lesson. Play was missing. Instead, the teachers asked questions and guided the children's actions. Maybe I am taking this completely out of context. If I am, please educators from the Erikson Institute correct me. I was hoping that the children would be invited to play and the educators would then describe the naturally occurring math that happens during play. I beseech the Erikson Institute to help children further their mathematical understanding in the early years by supporting the math that children do while playing. And, by helping new educators see the math that happens during play so they can scaffold the math and share with parents the mathematical value of play. Thanks for listening.

    Deb



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    Deborah Schein
    instructor and consultant
    Minneapolis MN
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Using picture books to help children see and talk about math all around them

    Posted 11-26-2018 10:28 AM
    Deborah in MN,
    Hello from Erikson Institute Early Math Collaborative! Thanks for your important message about mathematizing children's play. We couldn't agree with you more! In fact, we developed a set of Big Ideas so that teachers would have a helpful conceptual framework to guide their interactions with young children--to help them recognize and deepen the math that children are naturally curious about and eager to explore. Please check out the video series on our website called Focus on Play. The ones about block play are my personal favorites!

    While supporting play is key for building positive mathematical mindsets, research is clear that it is not enough--especially for children from lower-income families, dual language learners, and children of color. Teachers need to also actively introduce mathematical concepts and language through small group activities, games, book time, and routines. I hope that you will find our online resources support teachers to provide a wide range of appropriate, engaging experiences for young mathematicians!

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    Jeanine Brownell
    Chicago, IL
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Using picture books to help children see and talk about math all around them

    Posted 11-27-2018 08:32 AM
    I like Tana Hoban's books. They include Shapes, Shapes, Shapes; Let's Count; and Is It Larger? Is It Smaller?

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    Rae Pica
    Rae Pica Keynotes & Consulting
    Alexandria VA
    www.raepica.com
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Using picture books to help children see and talk about math all around them

    Posted 11-24-2018 04:34 PM
    One of my favorites is Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang.  There is simple language and pictures to really encourage counting. There are also a few "sleuthing moments" to think about why there are suddenly only seven shoes, an odd number; often a bright 4-year old figures it out on the next page or two.

    I prefer this type of story book over the type where one of a group of like objects keeps disappearing. I also like that each page spread is counting completely different objects than the previous pages.

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    Mars April Caulton
    Teacher & Teaching Artist
    Chicago IL
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Using picture books to help children see and talk about math all around them

    Posted 10-15-2021 12:02 AM
    I worked as an early childhood pre-school teacher in public schools. Inspectors would come out to visit to make sure things were in order. One of the requirement was that books must be displayed in every learning center. The Mathematic Center displayed books pertained to  math as well as pictures posted using math concepts. During circle time math was used when we counted children that were presence and the number of children that were absent.

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    Edna Brown
    Lancaster CA
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    Original Message