Two of the focus areas in my Kindergarten classroom are Literacy and Numeracy.  Whenever possible I like to weave children’s literature into my math lessons.  This week we started with the story “The Doorbell Rang” and from this book we worked on numerous problems involving cookie sharing.  We started with concrete, moved to pictures and finished with a modified version of symbolic representation.

I find when using a mentor text in which the children embrace the story and it’s characters it makes the transition to the math practice smooth. It doesn’t feel like a task, rather an extension of the story and the children easily engage.  The practice becomes playful which seems to deepen the learning and makes it stick.

The Doorbell Rang

Math Book Suggestions

There are so many choices available if you are thinking of incorporating children’s literature into your math discussions. 

Let’s Go Visiting – Sue Williams

Quack and Count – Keith Baker

Rooster’s Off to See the World – Eric Carle

Mouse Count – Ellen Stoll Walsh

Balancing Act – Ellen Stoll Walsh

Circle – Mac Barnett

Triangle – Mac Barnett

Square – Mac Barnett

Actual Size – Steve Jenkins

Lia & Luís: Who Has More – Ana Crespo (this comes from a lovely series Story Telling Math)

Do you have suggestions for my list?

Happy Teaching and Learning,

Lynda